Cyprus has made only limited use of the European Commission’s support for the “Digitisation of schools,” according to a recently-released special report by the European Court of Auditors.
And – along with many other EU member states – Cyprus lacks a strategic vision for the use of EU funding.
Specifically, the report refers to Recovery and Resilience Mechanism funding with two reforms under the chapter: “Modernising the education system, upgrading skills and retraining”.
Under this umbrella, two reforms were put in place: a) New teacher and school evaluation system – digital with a budget of €0.3 million and b) Digital transformation of schools to enhance digital and education-related skills in STEM fields with a budget of €13.8 million.
The report also noted that the coronavirus pandemic which broke out in 2020 revealed that school systems were not well prepared for distance learning in almost all member states.
This is due to the lack of good internet connectivity and appropriate digital equipment for the student population and teaching staff.
In addition, in order for teachers to meet the challenges of digital education and to ensure the participation of all pupils, they needed to be familiar with digital technology.
This required having been properly trained in its use and integration into the learning process, as well as in innovative teaching methods.
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