English Language Policy in Cyprus under the British Empire Period and it is Impact on Current Sustainable Education Policies

Abstract

In this research, the foreign language education policy of Cyprus, which was under British rule between 1878 and 1960, with a special reference to the English Language and its reflection on the present day were examined. The study on the period in question is based on a qualitative analysis of British archival documents and domestic sources. As the history of Cyprus, it is still possible to see especially traces of the education policy formulated by the British who ruled the island in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the early years, relatively minor attempts at colonialism were made compared to other British colonies, as the British gave the colonies the autonomy to govern their own languages and educational systems. The influence of the colonial power’s language, particularly in the Cypriot education system, started to be noticed after the 1930s when the political agenda changed and the British attitude changed. As a result, during the colonial period of the United Kingdom in Cyprus, the British tried to bring the education of the society, which was obtained as a result of education, to a common point by gathering it in a central structure.