School Leaving Certificates Without 'Equivalence

The Educational Reform that Threatens Equality of School Leaving Certificates between private and public schools in Cyprus. The abolition of 'equivalence' raises constitutional questions and creates new inequalities in access to public education.

The recent proposal by the Ministry of Education to amend the "Private Schools Law of 2019" has caused intense concern in the educational and legal community. At the heart of the debate is the provision to abolish the "equivalence" of private school leaving certificates with those of public schools, and this raises serious issues of constitutionality and equality.

'Equivalence' refers to the recognition of a qualification as valid and acceptable by the state. Equivalence, however, implies full assimilation of the qualification with that of public schools, with all the legal consequences that this entails, such as the possibility of appointment to the public service. The abolition of equivalence means that private school