Cypriot schools face shortages in textbooks and infrastructure challenges as academic year begins

As the academic year begins on September 14, 2026, Cyprus is experiencing logistical challenges in public education, primarily involving textbook shortages and infrastructure deficiencies. Primary teachers' union POED and other organizations have expressed significant dissatisfaction, noting that despite prior government promises, many classrooms still lack air conditioning and several hundred students are being placed in temporary, prefabricated buildings.

The Ministry of Education, led by Athina Michailidou, reported that 97% of the required 700 textbook titles have been delivered. Officials attributed delays to contractors failing to meet deadlines due to technical issues, prompting the Ministry to terminate some contracts and utilize the Government Printing Office to produce booklets for initial curriculum units. While the Ministry characterizes these shortages as minor, educators argue that the delay in core subjects like mathematics for five of the six primary school grades forces a reliance on photocopies and digital materials until full delivery, which is expected by mid-October.

Parliamentary scrutiny is mounting, with the Education Committee scheduling a meeting for the coming Wednesday to address these discrepancies. Unions continue to demand long-term strategic planning for school safety and infrastructure, while the Ministry insists that educational progress remains uninterrupted.