Policy, curriculum and the struggle for change in Cyprus: The case of the European dimension in education

Abstract

This article explores the possibilities of shifting ethnocentric bias in curricula and pupils' constructions of national and European identities using the concept of 'Europe' as a tool. The European dimension was conceptualized as a subtle approach, within the deeply divided society of Cyprus, to alleviate the ethnocentrism of history and geography curricula and to shift pupils' extreme views. The study showed that there were slight yet important shifts which point towards the potential of education in providing children with a wider range of 'tools' with which to construct their identities. It is argued that in a context where 'Europe' is a 'normativity' and the 'Other = Turk' is polarized, the European dimension might be useful to hybridize a European identity so as to include the 'Others'.