Cyprus-Forum.com

[zan]

Its nice to see Zan take such an interest in my old school.

I'll be at the meeting Zan with a few others from the alumni. I'll let you know what was said since you're so interested.

Can we have it on video please...Its not that I don't trust you or anything!!!

[Paphitis]

DP

[DT.]

Its nice to see Zan take such an interest in my old school.

I'll be at the meeting Zan with a few others from the alumni. I'll let you know what was said since you're so interested.

Can we have it on video please...Its not that I don't trust you or anything!!!

Why don't you send Bananiot. Seems like you and VP have a special bond with him these days. Always nice to see Banana making friends with partionists.

[zan]

Its nice to see Zan take such an interest in my old school.

I'll be at the meeting Zan with a few others from the alumni. I'll let you know what was said since you're so interested.

Can we have it on video please...Its not that I don't trust you or anything!!!

Why don't you send Bananiot. Seems like you and VP have a special bond with him these days. Always nice to see Banana making friends with partionists.

A special bond with honesty and integrity...You betcha......

[DT.]

Its nice to see Zan take such an interest in my old school.

I'll be at the meeting Zan with a few others from the alumni. I'll let you know what was said since you're so interested.

Can we have it on video please...Its not that I don't trust you or anything!!!

Why don't you send Bananiot. Seems like you and VP have a special bond with him these days. Always nice to see Banana making friends with partionists.

A special bond with honesty and integrity...You betcha......

You are who your friends are..

[zan]

Staff demands website be shut down
THE English School Staff Association (ESSA) said yesterday it wished to clarify its position regarding recent public attacks on the school and individual members of staff.

A statement issued by the association said: “ESSA condemns unequivocally the setting up of a website that invites public criticism of its members. This website contains potentially slanderous comments about members of ESSA. It is riddled with lies and misinformation. Its intimidating content along with the cowardly delivery of anonymous letters to individual members of ESSA are tantamount to intimidation and harassment. This is inevitably having adverse effects on the professional and personal lives of staff. Those who wish to express any concern or complain whatsoever may do so through agreed and established procedures at the School. ESSA demands the immediate shutting down of this website. If our demand is not met, we are prepared to take legal action against those responsible and industrial action in support of the professional and personal integrity of our members.”

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[zan]

English School parents hit back
By Alexia Saoulli
Group decries ‘efforts to paint us as far-right wingers and racists’

ENGLISH School Parents accused of undermining the school’s multicultural approach to education said yesterday they had been made to look like fascists and nationalists in what was clearly an effort to distort the truth.

Calling themselves the English School Parents and Alumni Initiative, the group said they had been painted as “nationalists, far-right wingers, fascists, obscurantist, bigots, terrorists, hysterics, third-word like, racist and much more”.

“In short there was a conscious and intentional effort to vilify and tarnish the names of people from individuals who only by name and in theory experienced and know democracy, with the goal of silencing them,” the parents said.

This was a clear dig at some English School teachers who are, according to the Initiative, imposing their left-wing ideas on their children and are being overzealous in their desire to instil multiculturalism in the school.

Speaking to reporter at a news conference, the Initiative said its policy so far had been to ignore provocations in an effort to maintain calm within the school. This policy had been interpreted as weakness and went unappreciated by the school’s management and administration, resulting in a one-side smear campaign against them.

The Initiative said it had also received information that the Student Council was being indirectly pressured by a single teacher to issue an announcement supporting the teachers.

In a carefully worded news release, the Initiative said it was not its intention to run Turkish Cypriot students out of the school. In fact their smooth integration into the school community, which had already been achieved, was beneficial for many reasons.

It said political positions and interventions had no place within the school and called on the governing board to stop teachers who set about doing this. Instead the school should continue operating in the same liberal spirit since its foundation and based on its constitution.

“Personal and party positions must stop being imposed on students by a group of teachers,” they said.

The Initiative also hit back at claims that parents had never complained to the school’s management, administration and the Parents’ Association. In fact they recorded nine occasions between 2005 and December 2008 when various attempts had been made to raise their objections.

“On none of the occasions was there an investigation into the charges,” the parents said.

The Initiative was formed because of the school management’s and board’s “provocative indifference” and the behaviour of a specific group of teachers.

The group went on to say it recognised and supported the school’s multiculturalism which had existed since its establishment. Nor did it intend to the turn the school into a Greek Orthodox establishment, it said.

The law stipulates that the school shall run “for the benefit of the Cypriot youth” and that “the school’s character will be Christian but non-dogmatic and all students will be facilitated to practice their own religions”.

Regarding the creation of its website, www.englishschoolnews.com, the Initiative said it had been set up to communicate and express its views and opinions.

The Initiative said any attempt to gag the site was “undemocratic” and indicative of a mentality of past ages.

“If someone feels offended by something written on the website by its readers, he has every right to ask for us to make a correction,” the parents said.

No one had so far complained that any of the information about a specific person was untrue or inaccurate, they added.

Finally the Initiative said its intention was not the creation of another Parents’ Association.

“The purpose was to promote specific positions in an organised manner since individual efforts failed.”

The Initiative said it was holding a meeting next Wednesday at Nicosia’s Hilton Hotel at 7pm. It called on all parents to attend to learn more about the situation within the school and to discuss ways in which to deal with the problem, as well as safeguarding and maintaining the high academic standard which the school has been famous for since its foundation.






Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[DT.]

English School parents hit back
By Alexia Saoulli
Group decries ‘efforts to paint us as far-right wingers and racists’

ENGLISH School Parents accused of undermining the school’s multicultural approach to education said yesterday they had been made to look like fascists and nationalists in what was clearly an effort to distort the truth.

Calling themselves the English School Parents and Alumni Initiative, the group said they had been painted as “nationalists, far-right wingers, fascists, obscurantist, bigots, terrorists, hysterics, third-word like, racist and much more”.

“In short there was a conscious and intentional effort to vilify and tarnish the names of people from individuals who only by name and in theory experienced and know democracy, with the goal of silencing them,” the parents said.

This was a clear dig at some English School teachers who are, according to the Initiative, imposing their left-wing ideas on their children and are being overzealous in their desire to instil multiculturalism in the school.

Speaking to reporter at a news conference, the Initiative said its policy so far had been to ignore provocations in an effort to maintain calm within the school. This policy had been interpreted as weakness and went unappreciated by the school’s management and administration, resulting in a one-side smear campaign against them.

The Initiative said it had also received information that the Student Council was being indirectly pressured by a single teacher to issue an announcement supporting the teachers.

In a carefully worded news release, the Initiative said it was not its intention to run Turkish Cypriot students out of the school. In fact their smooth integration into the school community, which had already been achieved, was beneficial for many reasons.

It said political positions and interventions had no place within the school and called on the governing board to stop teachers who set about doing this. Instead the school should continue operating in the same liberal spirit since its foundation and based on its constitution.

“Personal and party positions must stop being imposed on students by a group of teachers,” they said.

The Initiative also hit back at claims that parents had never complained to the school’s management, administration and the Parents’ Association. In fact they recorded nine occasions between 2005 and December 2008 when various attempts had been made to raise their objections.

“On none of the occasions was there an investigation into the charges,” the parents said.

The Initiative was formed because of the school management’s and board’s “provocative indifference” and the behaviour of a specific group of teachers.

The group went on to say it recognised and supported the school’s multiculturalism which had existed since its establishment. Nor did it intend to the turn the school into a Greek Orthodox establishment, it said.

The law stipulates that the school shall run “for the benefit of the Cypriot youth” and that “the school’s character will be Christian but non-dogmatic and all students will be facilitated to practice their own religions”.

Regarding the creation of its website, www.englishschoolnews.com, the Initiative said it had been set up to communicate and express its views and opinions.

The Initiative said any attempt to gag the site was “undemocratic” and indicative of a mentality of past ages.

“If someone feels offended by something written on the website by its readers, he has every right to ask for us to make a correction,” the parents said.

No one had so far complained that any of the information about a specific person was untrue or inaccurate, they added.

Finally the Initiative said its intention was not the creation of another Parents’ Association.

“The purpose was to promote specific positions in an organised manner since individual efforts failed.”

The Initiative said it was holding a meeting next Wednesday at Nicosia’s Hilton Hotel at 7pm. It called on all parents to attend to learn more about the situation within the school and to discuss ways in which to deal with the problem, as well as safeguarding and maintaining the high academic standard which the school has been famous for since its foundation.






Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

Well Alexia should know, she was a class below me in the English School.

[zan]

As opposed to the teachers teaching

[CBBB]

Did you go DT, and if so what happened?

I was at the Hilton, but for a different function otherwise I might have popped in.