Parochial education in the United Kingdom

Parochial education in the United Kingdom aims to preserve and promote Greek national consciousness and identity, as well as to spread Greek culture to the children and young people of the parish. This education is particularly important, as it is in many occasions their only channel of contact with the Greek language and culture.

Greek Parochial Schools (EPS) were created by diaspora Hellenism to meet the need to preserve the Greek language and culture in an environment that is linguistically, religiously and culturally diverse. The Republic of Cyprus, recognizing the importance of parochial education, has been supporting it in practice since 1969 through the Cyprus Educational Mission (KEA), which is staffed with educational, secretarial and administrative staff and provides textbooks and other educational materials.

Objectives of parochial education

• The aims of parochial education are to help children and young people to:
• Communicate effectively in the Greek language.
• Value and love their homeland, Cyprus and Greece.
• Gain national consciousness by knowing the Orthodoxy, cultural heritage, history and nature of Cyprus and Greece.

Detailed program and language levels

The curriculum of parochial education adopts the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which is used by all modern language curricula. KEPA divides language levels into three categories:

• Basic User (KEPA Levels A1 – A2)
• Independent User (KEPA Levels B1 – B2)
• Proficient User (KEPA Levels C1 – C2)

Reference to these levels helps parents and students monitor their progress and certify language proficiency through tools such as the European Language Portfolio or language certification exams.

Structural analysis of educational levels

The detailed program of parochial education aims to meet the levels of each class, as below:

• Kindergarten and Pre-Primary: Level Pre A1
• Classes A – B: Level A1.1
• Classes C – D: Level A1.2
• Grades E – F: Level A2.1

This separation allows teachers to adapt their teaching according to the needs and abilities of students at each educational level.

Teaching and language skills

The development of each level of language proficiency in parochial education includes learning the Greek language by developing all four language skills:

1. Oral expression/Speech
2. Comprehension of spoken language
3. Comprehension of written speech/ language
4. Production of written speech/Written Speech

In the parochial school syllabus, more emphasis is placed on oral language (production and comprehension) during the first years of language learning, while in older classes there is a greater balance between language skills.

Grammar and syntax

The teaching of grammar and syntax is not an end in itself but a means for developing students' communication skills. Emphasis on formulating grammar rules or learning language terminology is not recommended, as language structure must be mastered in a functional way.

Greek Culture and Cypriot Dialect

The syllabus does not adopt the traditional organization of study programs into separate subjects (e.g. geography, religion, history), but includes all social subjects in a category called "Hellenic Culture", the subjects of which are combined and co-taught with the teaching of the Greek language. The use of the Cypriot dialect is acceptable and used in the language course in a natural and functional way.

Use of the English Language

English, which is the main language of the children attending the parochial schools and the language used in the morning schools, is used by the teachers only when necessary, for the purposes of assisting the learning process of Greek within specific contexts and without overuse.

Methodology and creation of incentives

The methodology of parochial education is based on the special characteristics of pre-primary and primary school children and on recognized good practices used for learning a foreign language at a young age. Experiential language learning is promoted through techniques and activities such as playing, singing, telling stories and using technology.

Evaluation

Assessment is the evaluation of the result of an effort and is an integral and dynamic part of the educational process. It is a continuous and organized practice that governs proper educational effort and learning. The assessment covers all four domains of language development: comprehension of spoken language, production of spoken language, comprehension of written language and production of written language.

Application of the assessment

Three types of assessment are applied

1. Initial/Diagnostic Assessment: It aims to verify the level of the children and it is necessary to do it at the beginning of the school year.
2. Formative/Concurrent Assessment: It is done alongside the course or at key points of the course or thematic units.
3. Final Assessment: Aims to verify the achievement of the objectives of a school year or the completion of a language level (eg. A1, A2).

The assessment must cover the four levels of language development: oral comprehension, oral production, written comprehension and written production. The exams are short, realistic, feasible and useful as a progression and planning tool.