Cyprus schools face start-of-year challenges with textbook shortages and air conditioning issues

As the new academic year begins in Cyprus, public schools are facing significant logistical and infrastructure problems. Teachers' unions, including POED and OELMEK, have reported that numerous classrooms remain without functional air conditioning, posing health and safety risks to students during periods of high temperatures. Additionally, hundreds of students continue to be educated in temporary prefabricated buildings, a situation that unions describe as becoming a permanent, unacceptable default.

The situation is compounded by a shortage of textbooks for primary and secondary students. According to the Ministry of Education, the delay involves approximately 15 to 20 titles out of 650, caused by the failure of two contractors to meet their obligations. Affected subjects include Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, and Technology. As a temporary measure, the Ministry has arranged for the Government Printing Office to provide color booklets of initial chapters, while full delivery of textbooks is not expected until mid-October.

In response to these issues, members of the parliamentary Education Committee have scheduled a session for next Wednesday to demand answers and concrete timelines from the Ministry. Political figures, including Prodromos Alabritis, have criticized the Ministry for failing to meet its previous assurances regarding school readiness, leading to calls for a long-term strategic plan for educational infrastructure.