A comparative overview of citizenship education in Cyprus

Abstract

Cyprus is a Mediterranean island divided into two political sections. For political agreement to be possible between the North (Turkish) and South (Greek), Cyprus should give full consideration to citizenship education at schools with the aim of transmitting shared values and helping students become EU citizens. In this research, two citizenship textbooks which were designed and used for eighth grade level were examined using content analysis. One was a Greek book used in South Cyprus and the other one was a Turkish book used in North Cyprus. Both textbooks were prepared and published in the respective mainland states (Greece and Turkey) and reflected the culture of these countries. Although Turkey is a candidate state for the European Union, the Turkish book focuses on empowering local citizen identity in the nation state and does not discuss broader issues related to global citizenship. By contrast, the Greek textbook covers both national and global issues concerning citizenship. Silman and Caglar suggest that North and South Cyprus should design their own citizenship books to promote the concepts of interdependence, multiculturalism, democracy, human rights and respect for cultural diversity. The researchers believe that this could facilitate a possible political agreement between the two sides.