School air conditioning rollout pushed to spring as ministry speeds up checks
Education Minister Athena Michaelidou says more schools will have working air conditioners by April and May, as inspections are accelerated over the winter months.
More classrooms across Cyprus should have functioning air conditioning by April and May, according to Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, who said checks on installed units are being stepped up during the winter so that equipment is ready when the heat returns. She spoke on Friday after presenting her ministry's annual budget to the House finance committee, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
Michaelidou said all high schools are now fully covered, with middle schools close behind and a smaller share of primary schools equipped. She conceded the programme has run into technical and practical obstacles, but said work to resolve them continues.
“Already in several districts, the project has progressed significantly,” she said.
The scheme began in 2023 and was originally meant to wrap up by the end of this year; it is now expected to run until 2028. District figures show Famagusta furthest ahead, with 65 per cent of primary schools fully fitted, against 16 per cent in Paphos and 24 per cent in Nicosia. The audit office recently flagged unfinished work and possibly unsafe electrical connections at five schools, though Nicosia school board president Nikos Megalemos called the safety worries overstated and said temporary connections used during the Pancyprian examinations would be removed.
What it means for residents
For families with children in public schools, the practical effect is that comfort in class will keep varying sharply depending on where you live and which level your child attends.
- Check your school's status. Coverage differs widely by district, so ask the school board whether your child's classroom is among those already fitted.
- Expect a longer timeline. With completion now stretching to 2028, some pupils will go through several more summers without cooled classrooms.
- Watch the safety question. The audit office's findings on wiring mean parents may want to follow how temporary connections are dismantled.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
