The House education committee is trying to sort out foreign language undergraduate courses at public universities before its summer recess, it was reported on Wednesday.

Committee chairman Diko MP Pavlos Mylonas said the MPs were concerned about the foreign language programmes and that they would be pressing on with discussions next Wednesday, with an aim to wrap up amendments as soon as possible.

Akel MP Christos Christofides said the University of Cyprus had proposed to the education ministry that pancyprian entrance exams for universities be included as an admission criterion for the university’s foreign language programmes for a portion of those places, with successful applicants not paying tuition fees.

“The ministry of education rejected it because it believes that the main thing is to pay tuition fees […] this demonstrates the real approach of this government […] which is for universities to find their own resources,” Christofides said.

This approach, he warned, would lead to tuition fees for all.

Independent MP Andreas Themistocleous said that the bill in its original form meant that each department would decide its own admission criteria.

“I hope that, even in the future, the education ministry will take corrective actions,” he added.

Last month, Akel put forward a bill which would ensure that undergraduate programmes taught in foreign languages at Cyprus’ public universities are free of charge for students.

Christofides had warned that if the bill is not passed into law, “two categories of students will be created”.

One category, he said, will be Cypriot students who pay tuition fees, and the other will be Cypriot students who do not. He argued that should this come to pass, “the quality of Greek-language programmes will be degraded”.