The Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (CTCA) held a workshop on 23 October 2022 with its member schools.
In a statement, CTCA President Fahri Zihni said “We are at a time of great danger for our schools and the education of our children. Despite the heroic efforts of many volunteer staff & teachers, who give their time and energy to this noble cause freely, we are now facing widespread loss of locally based schools. It is time to ring our alarm bells, and, as CTCA, ask our parents, teachers, the business community, the Turkish Cypriot Republic of Cyprus (TRNC) and Evkaf to act quickly to help us protect our schools from extinction.”
Stating that Turkish schools are fundamental for young students to learn their heritage and culture as well as skills learnt which later aid many students with their education that will benefit them from gaining Turkish GCSEs and A Levels as the progress into their future.
However, in the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on Supplementary Turkish Culture and Language schools, with lockdown, and a stop to face-to-face teaching have had an effect on getting students back into the classrooms.
Stating that the rent increase of school has had a serious impact on them “one school will have no choice but to shut its doors to its pupils for the last time very soon. We cannot afford to see the same happening to other schools. Our children are our future and we cannot take away their education”.
The CTCA agreed to work with schools to investigate current opportunities for external and other alternative sources of project funding.