Cyprus
Bridging The Gap ...
The government policy is to encourage and support the integration of children with special needs into the ordinary
educational system and provide them with the opportunity to grow and learn together with their "non - handicapped"
peers. In the case of children with more severe needs, their local and social integration is supported by extra educational
help offered by special or support teachers assigned to ordinary schools. Pre - school hearing impaired and autistic
children are also partial integrated through their placement in special units attached to kindergartens and primary
schools and part - time attendance of the ordinary class program.
An exception to the integration policy is the form of education for children with severe mental, physical, sensory and
emotional problems who are still segregated into special schools. Every effort, however, is made to encourage the
development of links between special and ordinary schools and to promote social integration.
According to the 47/79 Law for Special Education, the Cyprus Government has undertaken responsibility for the
education of children with special needs between the ages of 5 and 18 who fall into the following categories:
- moderately mentally retarded
- mildly mentally retarded
- slow learners
- emotionally disturbed
- deaf, blind and physically handicapped
According to the Law, the Council of Ministers is empowered to organize schools and programs in any of the above
categories.
This legislation also requires the establishment, in each educational area, of a multi - professional committee
responsible for discussing at the local level, the cases of children referred to it and for suggesting to the Director of
Primary Education possible placement and appropriate educational provision.
The participants in the Committee come from different professional backgrounds and a psychiatrist, a clinical
physiologist, an educational psychologist and a social worker are also included as members.
Special attention has been given by the Government of Cyprus to the provision of equal education opportunities for every
child. Pursuing this policy, the Government continues to run special schools for all types of special needs.
During the school year 1991-1992 the following schools for special needs were operation:
- Schools for the moderately mentally handicapped:
There are five such schools which provide education and training covering the areas of self - care, occupational therapy,
speech therapy and subjects that aim at developing the mental and other abilities of children to the maximum of their
potential.
- School for the deaf and school for the blind:
These schools organize a variety of programs and activities for the development of the abilities of their pupils, their social
adjustment and their vocational rehabilitation.
- School for children with behavior problems:
This school provides a variety of programs and activities for children with the above type of needs.
- Schools for children with motor-coordination difficulties:
There are two such schools in Cyprus, one run by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the other by charity
organization. Their teaching staff is appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for disabled people:
The Centre was established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance and it mainly airs at:
1. Assessing the vocational abilities of disabled persons and offering vocational guidance and training to such persons
for their adjustment and integration into the world of work and society in general and,
2. Employing persons with very serious disabilities in sheltered workshops.
The teaching staff of the Centre is appointed by the Ministry of Education.
- Homes for severely retarded children:
There are two such homes. The one, in Nicosia, is under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor (Department of Social
Welfare Services) and the other, in Limassol, has been established and is run by charity.
On the other hand, a total of 1100 children attend individualized programs in regular schools offered by 100 special
educators.
In future, the following objectives will be pursued:
- In-service training of the teaching staff on a systematic basis will continue to receive extra attention.
- A new Educational Act for Special Education has been drafted and will hopefully soon be enacted by the House of
Representatives.
