Education key to Cyprus’ future and reunification, president says

Education is the foundation of the future of Cypriot Hellenism and a vital investment in national survival, liberation and the reunification of Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.

The president was speaking during a memorial address at the 50th anniversary service for the late Konstantinos Spyridakis, Cyprus’ first minister of education, held at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas in Nicosia.

Christodoulides said Spyridakis’ legacy — and in particular his vision for the continuous advancement of education and the country’s educational system — remains a shared objective today.

“Education is the solid foundation upon which the past, the present and the future of Cypriot Hellenism are built,” the president said, adding that this principle underpins the government’s broader reform agenda.

Referring to modern education policy, Christodoulides said that by upgrading the quality of the education system and cultivating citizens marked by respect, responsibility, social awareness and democratic values, Cyprus safeguards its identity, language and culture.

“In this way, we invest in our historical continuity and national survival, and in the prospect of liberation and reunification of our country,” he said.

In his address, the president described Spyridakis as a visionary and leading intellectual figure of Cyprus, closely associated with the progress of education, society and the Cypriot people. He said it was not an exaggeration to describe him as the founder of Greek education in Cyprus.

Christodoulides referred extensively to Spyridakis’ contribution to preserving the Greek character of Cypriot education during British rule and following independence, as well as to his wide-ranging academic, pedagogical, literary and cultural work.

Special reference was made to Spyridakis’ long-standing association with the Pancyprian Gymnasium, where he served as a teacher and later as deputy headmaster and headmaster. According to the president, his educational vision transformed the school into a centre of learning with broad intellectual influence, ranking it among the leading secondary education institutions of Hellenism.

The president also highlighted Spyridakis’ belief in the central role of the teacher as an educator, encouraging teachers not merely to transmit knowledge but to shape well-rounded individuals. At the same time, he sought to instil in students a commitment to Helleno-Christian values, aiming, as the president said, to foster “not fanatics, but conscious and proud Greek Cypriots” committed to national principles and ideals.

Christodoulides also referred to Spyridakis’ firm stance against proposals for financial support of schools from the Turkish side, describing his position as decisive in safeguarding the Greek character of Cypriot education.

He said the Greek identity of Cyprus and its inseparable link with Greek education and culture served as the guiding principles throughout Spyridakis’ life and personal journey.