Formal and Non-Formal Education Links
A variety of private and public institutions on a part-time basis are involved in non-formal education by offering a mixture of courses at various levels.
Non-formal education is provided through:-
1) The Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Education provide Evening Technical classes and the Apprenticeship Training Scheme. Both of which permit young industry based trainees to attain a 2 year technical school re-training or training in several trades.
2) Accelerated vocational and training and re-training courses are offered by the Industrial Training Authority that is normally subcontracted to appropriate institutions.
3) Courses for upgrading and the training of supervisory and managerial staff and skilled workers are provided by the Productivity Centre.
4) Adults are able to complete their secondary education by attending a five evening Gymnasia that is available in each of the major towns.
5) Both pupils and adults can take a variety of language courses as well as computer science courses through the State Institutes for Further Education.
6) Adult education in numerous fields of education, literacy, first aid, languages and vocational training are offered at Adult Education Centres.
There is also a programme for old aged pensioners to help them become part of the whole community available in collaboration with the Council of Europe.
A number of part time courses are offered by private institutions for music, secretarial, foreign languages, ballet and vocational studies. Some of these private institutions also make available tutoring for external examining bodies such as the British and American examining bodies.
There are two ways in which the relationships between formal and non-formal education in Cyprus is promoted. Firstly this is done directly through curriculum structuring and secondly through an indirect relationship through institutional initiatives.
Despite the non-existence of an established mechanism for coordination between formal and non-formal education in Cyprus it is still viable to clam that this coordination exists both on a macro and micro level.
Macro Level
The Ministry of Education works towards the training of young secondary school graduates enter the working world and helps secondary school dropouts complete their basic education. The Ministry of Labour and Social Services is largely concerned with providing professional competency for those people who are already within the job market.
Micro Level
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Services achieve the coordination through delegation of each ministry. Both of these ministries are responsible for many of the non-formal educational programmes that have already been mentioned.
The Cypriot government recognises and understands the importance between formal and non-formal education and is continuously looking for the best structures to organise this coordination. The Cypriot government welcomes assistance and information from international bodies on the development of these structures for both non-formal and adult education.