Republic of Cyprus Second Voluntary National Report - Sustainable development goals

33 Focus areas To assist in the smooth and effective integration of groups with different cultural and linguistic identities, the implementation of differentiated educational measures and policies have been promoted. The Social and School Inclusion Programme “DRASE” for primary and secondary education aims to tackle the consequences of the economic crisis in education. DRASE identifies individual schools in need, based on criteria related to the socioeconomic status and students’ performance. This programme supports vulnerable groups of students that have been mostly affected by the economic crisis, students at a high risk of functional illiteracy, as well as students and families of non-Greek language background. After the Covid-19 pandemic, achieving a smooth transition from the online and distant education to the face-to-face teaching and learning in the school environment is a high priority. More importantly, paying particular attention to the identification of the needs that have emerged due to the pandemic by looking at students’ well-being, sense of belonging and connectedness to the school, students’ motivation and self- regulation. Aspects of formative assessment to identify the level at which the learning goals for each student have been achieved during the period of online education, will be addressed as well. Protection and Social Care against Violence and Abuse In terms of social care and welfare the Ministry of Labour, Social Welfare and Insurance has as key priority the development and functioning of quality social care programmes and child care needs (SDG4 and SDG10). With regard to issues of abuse and violence against children, the Social Welfare Services in collaboration with the Police and the Ministry of Health have established a Children’s House in all Districts. It provides child friendly services to children victims of sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation, based on a multidisciplinary approach. At the same time, the operation of institutions concerning child protection and the protection of unaccompanied children as well as the implementation of the foster programme are ongoing. The Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Office has been operating at the Police Headquarters, mainly performing coordinating and advisory functions (Reported cases of domestic violence are investigated by either the local police stations or the divisional Crime Investigation Departments depending on the seriousness of each case). The National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of School Violence has been established (2018-2022) and the Law on the Prevention and Response to Domestic Violence of 2020 has been passed. Preventive programmes against bullying (20 schools involved) and school violence at primary schools have been established. A Coordinating Committee for the Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children with representatives of all Ministry’s departments and services has already been set up. The first National Strategy on the Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography 2016-2019, sought to recognise the scope and scale of this social problem, to identify the priorities for addressing it properly and to determine the necessary actions and policies in order to achieve the primary goal that all children should have the opportunity to grow up in conditions of security, equipped with all the tools that would allow them to develop healthy relationships, without having to face any form of sexual exploitation or abuse, free from all forms of sexual injury.