Enlarged partial agreement

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe

Primary school students begin to take the compulsory course “History” in the third grade (age 9). At the lower secondary level, “History” remains compulsory for all students and includes a final assessment. At upper secondary level, students choose to follow strands with distinct subject concentrations, with teaching hours for history varying across these concentrations. In the first year (age 16), the course “History” is compulsory for all students, with the inclusion of a final assessment depending on the subject specialisation chosen. In the second and third years (ages 17-18), the course “History” remains compulsory, but only students following strands 1 (classics and humanities), 2 (foreign languages and European studies), and 6 (fine arts) take a final exam. Technical education students are also required to study history for two years (ages 15-16).

A number of schools accommodate the needs of members of distinct religious groups (Armenian, Maronite and Latin) by offering teaching following adjusted history curricula. Such schools are, however, not designated as religious schools. Some schools that accommodate students who belong to the Armenian, Maronite and Latin religious groups are not privately operated (Armenian Nareg schools and Agios Maronas Primary School), while Terra Santa College and St Mary’s School are private schools. These schools follow a distinct history curriculum.

In public schools, history is taught in Greek. The publicly operated Armenian Nareg schools teach Armenian history in the Armenian language, while some private schools teach subjects, including history, in a language other than Greek.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth has sole responsibility for the educational curricula. The national history curriculum in state schools describes specific learning outcomes in terms of substantive knowledge and a disciplinary understanding of history. The education authorities report that minority groups participate in curriculum development, but not civil society organisations.

The authorities report that minority groups (cultural, ethnic, linguistic, national, religious or sexual/gender) are included in the history curriculum.

 Curricula workstation by GEI (History curricula search by country)

The assessment methods teachers are required to use are: at secondary level: essays, oral presentations/ exams (including knowledge-based questions, source-based questions and multiple-choice questions); at primary level: projects and role play.

End-of-stage examinations are taken for the compulsory lower secondary course “History”; the compulsory upper secondary course “History” in grade 10, as well as for the compulsory upper secondary course “History” in grades 11 and 12, but only for students following strands 1 (classics and humanities), 2 (foreign languages and European studies) and 6 (fine arts). Such examinations at grades 11 and 12 are set at the national level.

End-of-stage examinations assess the following fields of knowledge: historical content knowledge, historical thinking competences (e.g., critical analysis and evaluation of evidence, formulation and justification of historical arguments, consideration of different perspectives), social and civic competences (e.g., conflict resolution skills, demonstrating empathy, respect for diversity).

End-of-stage examinations are oral and written and include open-ended questions, close-ended questions, source-based questions, multiple-choice questions and essays.

The main resources available to teachers for the teaching of history in the public/state schools of the Republic of Cyprus are official textbooks provided by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. A number of the textbooks used in Cyprus have been developed by the Greek state for teaching Greek history in public/state schools in Greece. For the teaching of Cypriot history, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth provides schools with textbooks developed by historians and teachers in Cyprus.

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, inspectors and the Pedagogical Institute approve history textbooks and other educational resources for use in schools in Cyprus.

Policies on the use of different types of educational resources are as follows:

REQUIRED	ENCOURAGED	NO POLICY
Historiographical bibliography History textbooks Museums and other places of heritage interpretation Primary documentary sources Printed or digital press (newspapers and magazines) Teacher notes Websites and databases with historical content approved by the educational authorities	Artefacts (e.g., paintings, architecture, sculptures, contemporary art) Audio sources (e.g., music, the sound of a steam engine) Audiovisual sources (e.g., newsreels, private archives, commercials) Cinema and documentaries with historical themes Literature (e.g., historical novels, graphic novels) Local cultural heritage (e.g., costumes, food traditions, celebrations) Local and regional festivals and traditions related to historical events Oral sources (interviews with grandparents, relatives, neighbours, etc.) Reports on historical topics in popular magazines Visual sources (e.g., paintings, photographs, drawings)	Apps for smartphones and tablets with historical content Search engines and websites with historical content not necessarily validated by the education authorities Video games

 International TextbookCat (GEI collection of Textbooks and Educational Media)

At the primary level, a Bachelor in Education is required. At the secondary level, teachers need to have a university degree in a specialised area (history, literature, pedagogy or philosophy) plus a two-semester teacher training programme offered by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and the University of Cyprus, which is compulsory for teachers who want to teach in public secondary schools.

At the primary level teachers receive general training to teach across a range of disciplines. At the secondary level teachers are trained in both history as a discipline and history didactics, and also in other relevant subjects (literature, language, philosophy).

A number of in-service professional development courses are compulsory (seminars at the beginning of the year and during the autumn and winter terms), while other courses are offered on an optional basis. Training courses are jointly organised by the government, the University of Cyprus and the Pedagogical Institute.

  Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (presentation by EuroClio)

 Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (official website)

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