Court ruling impacts provision of school aides for students in private schools

The Cyprus Administrative Court recently annulled a Ministry of Education decision to deny a school aide to a student with special needs attending a private school. Nicosia Member of Parliament Irene Charalambidou submitted a parliamentary question requesting information on the ministry's response to this ruling. In her reply, Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou stated that the ministry is evaluating the legal, administrative, practical, and economic implications of the decision. The case raises critical questions regarding the scope of the state's obligations toward students with disabilities in the private education sector. Currently, the ministry is consulting with the Law Office of the Republic to determine how this precedent affects existing legislation and service provision. Until a formal assessment is completed, the ministry continues to operate under the current legislative and administrative framework. The government has not yet committed to specific changes in policy or funding resulting from this judicial outcome.