The Greek-Cypriots' education in Pafos' province from October's revolt to the Independence (1931-1960)

The objective of this study is to assess and analyse the Greek-Cypriots educational policy regarding elementary and secondary education in Pafos' province, and to evaluate its contribution to the development of education in Cyprus during the British administration from October' s revolt (1931) till the Independence of Cyprus (1960). This aim includes an examination of the administration of education in Pafos and its organisation within the historical context, which includes both the Church and the Colonial Government' s involvement. It also includes an appraisal of education ' s operation and content in Pafos' province and particularly the school' s management, the type of the schools that operated that time as well as the students' participation and withdrawal. Finally, the thesis intention is to investigate the probability of the influence of certain policies from the English educational system to mainly secondary schools and to determine and interpret the policy that the Colonial Government sought to impose on the secondary education of Pafos. The study concludes that the British administration from 1931 and on tried to impose the centralisation of the educational system in order to influence the Greek-Cypriots in favour of the British Government. The Colonial authorities tried to influence schools timetables and curricula by emphasising on teaching English language and history at the expense of the Greek ones. However, the British could not put into effect their intention s, due to the pressure that the majority of the citizens and the Church exercised on the Colonial Government. Finally, the thesis remarks that Greek-Cypriots education in Pafos' province was strong enough to survive and improve not only through schools, but through the socio-cultural development due the initiative s of its scholar-citizens as well