ABSTRACT
With the end of the colonial rule in Cyprus, the control of education was immediately transferred from the Cyprus Colonial Government to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities respectively. In an island where educational issues had always been linked to and reflected political developments, this transfer bears great significance. After the 1931 uprising, the colonial authorities managed to take over elementary education and teachers’ training in the island. The Church continued to enjoy a privileged position within secondary schools, despite certain measures taken by the Government to prevent this. However, with the outbreak of the EOKA revolt, indiscipline in schools became a major problem which eventually exposed the limitations of British educational policy. In 1959, during the transitional period, the control of education was transferred to the Greek and Turkish Boards of Education and from 1960 until 1965 education became one of the major responsibilities of the Greek and Turkish Communal Chambers. This chapter will attempt to examine the changes made from 1959 until 1965 in the educational authorities of the island, as well as the educational reforms undertaken during this period. In doing so it will discuss how these reflected the change of guard in Cypriot education its political aspirations and the new balance of power in Cyprus. For merely technical reasons, the chapter deals primarily with the Greek Cypriot community, but Turkish Cypriot community enters into our analysis when this is possible.
