Cabinet agrees to creation of special education assessment centre

The creation of a Special Education Assessment Centre was decided by the Council of Ministers, at Monday’s meeting in Troodos with President Nicos Anastasiades.

The Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou, said that on the basis of a report submitted by the education ministry and proposals for the strengthening of special education, the cabinet has taken into account the continuous increase in numbers in special education.

“In the 2021-2022 school year we had some 13,500 students in special education. To understand the increase, compared to 2014-2015 from 8,200 children, we have now reached 13,500,” Prodromou explained.

“Today it was decided to create a Centre for the Evaluation of Special Education, which will use scientific expertise and will be staffed by appropriate scientific staff, where the general decisions and directions will be made, in which the education ministry will be called upon to apply.”

The minister noted that the operation of the centre will be implemented once the education ministry has introduced the relevant legislative regulation “to improve the existing operation via the system of district committees”.

Meanwhile, a second decision concerns the strengthening of diagnoses which the Education Ministry will start carrying out in schools.

A third decision concerns the strengthening of the nine special schools under the ministry’s aegis, with psychological support services and regular school attendance and supervision.

Prodromou said that the cabinet gave the education ministry the green light for the final evaluation and the possible coverage of additional needs using the services of school assistant escorts in view of the start of the school year 2022-2023.