By Dr Panayioti K. Mavro
Although my initial intention was to address the President's shortcomings regarding the reshuffle and the appointments to semi-governmental organisations, under the title "The absent one feels no shame, the world belongs to him," I will instead deal with matters of education, which is my area of expertise. It is as clear as daylight that the majority of the Cypriot people have ranked him at the very bottom of politics, having grasped his psychological fixation on a second term, with no concern for whether Cyprus will be divided. And now, to our own subject. Education is the pulse of life, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that a country's future rests to a great extent upon it, since the upbringing of young people, that is, of the new generation, depends on the education we provide them.
Today, the state of affairs in education has changed radically, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that education is, by its very nature and function, a social matter, and that pedagogy rests more on sociology than on any other science. We find no difficulty at all in grasping this dimension of education, since its aim, beyond the purely academic, is the socialisation of the individual, so that he becomes capable of functioning and adapting within society, having been properly prepared within the micro-society of the school. Gone are the days when a person's social surroundings and background fell within the concerns of pedagogy, with the role of the educator limited to preventing the potential of human nature from weakening or falling into disuse in the course of a person's development.
Of course, it is here that the great question arises: "Does the school fulfil its role as an academic institution that simultaneously aims at the wellbeing and upbringing of the child and adolescent?" Very briefly, at this point we would say that the emphasis is placed on professionalism, on meeting the needs of the market, rather than on the upbringing of the child. Certainly, both of these goals are equally important, and indeed interlinked. Unfortunately, we have drawn the line beyond its proper limits, since our exam-centred system, with its enormous syllabus, despite the changes that have admittedly been made, leaves no room for the social and cultural upbringing of our young people, who may be handed over to society academically well-trained but, alas, troubled socially, culturally and spiritually, unable to function within a society oriented towards spiritual values. It is for this reason that we believe academic training must go hand in hand with spiritual formation, for only then can we aim at creating free and mature personalities, capable of facing difficult circumstances and overcoming their failures, so as to arrive safely at success through a war made up of many battles lost and won. Through changes aimed at a more flexible and adaptable system, one that will allow for the development of new teaching methods and a more effective and flexible curriculum, one that will "free the hands" of teachers so that they can work comfortably and constructively in the classroom, placing emphasis on the educational needs of all pupils, regardless of ability or level, in order to achieve the goal of creativity, the joy of learning and the cultivation of the soul, which ought to be the main aim of our education. In this way, it will greatly contribute to the rise of spiritual values that will make us proud of the spiritual, social and cultural equipment we pass on to the new generation.
And as we have often noted, we must not forget Plato, who placed great emphasis on the role of education for the wellbeing of the state. "As long as the new generation is, and continues to be, well brought up, the ship of state will sail well; otherwise, it would be better not to speak of the consequences." Unfortunately, given today's circumstances, our ship is being battered by fierce waves, and we hope it does not sink in the stormy sea.
*BA, MA, PhD, former inspector and first education officer, Ministry of Education and Culture.
