The Institute of Education, Cyprus (Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus), which was founded in 1972, is an institute of teacher education. The Institute's main activities are professional teacher training, educational research and evaluation, educational documentation, educational technology, and curriculum development.
Cyprus Teacher Education - The Institute of Education offers teacher education programmes for all Cypriot nationals, with emphasis on active learning, meta cognitive skills, intercultural education and technology.
The programmes designed to offer professional training for teachers and administrators are the following:
- Pre-service and in-service professional education for teachers and administrators.
- In-service training programme for secondary school assistant principals.
- In-service training programme for secondary school principals.
- In-service training programme for elementary school principals.
- Optional seminars.
- School-based seminars.
- Training programme for Greek teachers of pre-primary and primary education.
- Special seminars.
Cyprus Research and Evaluation
The research and evaluation activities of the Institute of Education deal with the following:
- Educational research and evaluation.
- Guidance and statistical data processing of research and evaluation projects undertaken by educators from primary and secondary education.
- Seminars on educational research - evaluation and Information Technology.
Cyprus Publications - The Institute of Education has published over a hundred education books and offers help to all seminar participants through the publication of books authored by faculty members. These books are either used as textbooks or as research and reference sources.
Cyprus Technology Services
The Institute of Education provides technological support for its teacher education programmes. Technological support is provided in the following forms:
- Production of sight and sound programmes
- Production of short-length films
- Video taping and photographing
- Production and multiplication of new teaching materials
- Multiplication of sound and visual programmes
The Lemithou Centre of Environmental Education - The Lemithou Centre for Environmental Education is under the supervision of the Institute. The Centre is situated in the village of Lemithou and offers one-day and three-day programmes for students and teachers. The Center aims at sensitizing people in environmental matters.
The Curriculum Development Unit - The main activity of the Curriculum Development Unit has been the production of textbooks for primary and secondary education schools.
European Programmes in Cyprus
The Institute is involved in the following European programmes:
- PROJECT L.I.P.P.S.(Curriculum Continuity Between the Primary and Secondary Education)
- PROJECT EDIPED(The development of a European Digital portfolio for the Evaluation of Educators).
- LeAF (Learning About Forests).
- Fresh Water Program.
- Forest net - Nature trails
- MINERVA.
Socrates National Coordination Unit: The Socrates Programme is the community action programme founded by the European Commission in 1995 to act as the connecting link among the European countries in the field of education.
Cyprus joined the Socrates Programme on 1 November 1997. The Cyprus Socrates National Coordination Unit, which functions within the structure of the Ministry of Education and Culture, has been established to facilitate the co-coordinated management of the programme's actions at national level.
In view of promoting cooperation between institutions of pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary education and institutions working in the field of adult education with respective European institutions, the Socrates programme initiates activities involving the full range of education bodies, in order to establish the European dimension and improve quality in education.
Source: Press And Information Office, Republic Of Cyprus, 2005