UCY: ‘Nothing irregular’ about allowing A Level holders to apply
The University of Cyprus on Monday said there is “nothing irregular” in its allowing students who obtained international high school qualifications to apply to study at the university.
The university’s head of academic affairs Menelaos Menelaou told the Cyprus Mail the university was acting within the bounds of the law. He was responding to teaching union Oelmek’s condemnation of the measure earlier in the day.
“There is nothing irregular going on here. The opportunity to apply for places is given to students with A Levels and other such qualifications only after the final intake of students who took the Pancyprian examinations is made,” Menelaou said.
“Then, and at this point, only if there are any places remaining, the university acts in line with its internal regulations, as it is allowed to do by law, and offers those who took international examinations the opportunity to apply for undergraduate places.”
He said that ordinarily, there are “four or five” such places open after the final intake of students who took the Pancyprian examinations, and that only one or two people per year are given places at the university through this intake.
Oelmek had described the procedure as “illegal” and “arbitrary” earlier in the day.
The union decried the “defiant attitude of the University of Cyprus’ administration”, which, they said, “continues to act arbitrarily and illegally by once again issuing an announcement that it will allocate vacant places in undergraduate programmes to those who did not take the Pancyprian examinations”.
Their announcement comes after the university had announced last week any unfilled places in undergraduate programmes can be taken by students who sat either A levels, the International Baccalaureate, or other recognised equivalent examinations, provided that they submit a certificate of competence in the Greek language.
“For the umpteenth time, we would like to emphasise that this act goes against the law on the conduct of universal examinations and the regulations pertaining to the admission to public universities, as well as a relevant opinion issued by the attorney-general,” the union said.
“We therefore call on the rector to immediately terminate these illegal actions.”
They said they were determined to continue in every way their fight to “defend and protect public schools” and “all the pupils who sit the Pancyprian examinations with the aim of being legally admitted to Cyprus’ public universities, and not those who do so via the back door at the expense of their classmates”.
“Such irregular actions undermine Cypriot public schools, further promote the privatisation of Cypriot education, violate the principle of equality, provoke final-year high school pupils in both public and private schools, and offer preferential treatment to the detriment of those who are overworked in studying for the Pancyprian examinations,” they said.
Instead, they said, the University of Cyprus should publicise any vacant positions and offer them to would-be students who failed the Pancyprian examinations.
They also called on Education Minister Athena Michaelidou to “intervene immediately, so as to stop any student from enrolling through this illegal process”.
The university had last week announced that it would accept applications from those who sat international examinations within the last three years for its remaining unfilled places, with the final deadline for applications set at this coming Wednesday.
Applicants must have never failed the Pancyprian or Panhellenic examinations at any time.
This process is nothing new to the University of Cyprus, with its final remaining open places having been opened up to students who took international high school examinations for nearly a decade.
Those eligible can contact the Studies and Student Care Service, tel.: 22 894021, e-mail address: aasw@ucy.ac.cy.