Students across Cyprus walked out of classes for two hours on Monday, protesting the absence of air conditioning in classrooms and poor conditions in schools.
The strike, organised by the Pan-Cypriot Student Coordinating Committee (PSEM), affected the third and fourth periods of lessons as students demanded immediate action on what they described as unbearable classroom conditions.
The Education Ministry dismissed the protest as “excessive and completely unjustified”, emphasising that air conditioning installation work is progressing and will not be rushed at the expense of safety.
Student committee demands immediate solutions
PSEM announced the strike last week, citing “non-functioning air conditioning, poor infrastructure and indifference from the Education Ministry” while warning of escalating protests if immediate solutions are not found.
In a letter to Education Minister Athina Michailidou, students said they were “suffocating” and that “the situation has reached breaking point” in the schools they attend.
“Since the start of the school year, we hear that there are no problems in schools, that all necessary preparations were made for the smooth start of this year’s school term,” the students wrote. “However, the situation we experience daily has no relation to what is publicly stated. Our reality is at least tragic.”
The committee highlighted that infrastructure in many schools remains poor, with frequent power outages and their consequences affecting daily operations.
Education ministry defends installation progress
Education Minister Michailidou met with PSEM representatives on Friday and subsequently posted on social media that the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and the government are working towards implementing the goal of better schools.
The minister stated that air conditioning and building upgrades are not merely infrastructure projects, but steps that improve daily teaching and learning conditions.
In a detailed statement, the ministry described the protest as “at least inappropriate for projects that are under implementation” and accused political forces of exploiting the issue.
Government calls protest unjustified
The ministry emphasised that installing and operating air conditioning in all schools of all levels, as well as upgrading school buildings, constitute an unwavering government goal, supported by both investment and results.
“The implementation of these two ambitious projects is progressing based on the planning and priorities set by the competent services, with a specific budget and based on procedures and timetables,” the statement read.
The ministry accused previous governments of decades of inaction on school infrastructure while defending the current administration’s approach as prioritising safety over speed.
“The ministry makes it clear that under no circumstances will there be compromises in the control process for impression purposes only, since the safety of children, teachers and school staff constitutes the highest priority,” officials said.
The ministry called on all parties to function supportively in what it described as an ambitious effort that will improve daily school conditions upon completion.
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