Over 1,200 children still waiting for special education decisions
Education Minister Athena Michaelidou told parliament that 1,227 cases are pending before the district committees, with Limassol accounting for the largest share at 430.
As of the current school year, 1,227 children are still awaiting an assessment or a ruling on special educational and other support, according to figures given to parliament by Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
The District Committees for Special Education are handling the backlog. Limassol carries the heaviest load with 430 pending cases, Nicosia follows with 384, Larnaca and Famagusta together account for 252, and Paphos has 161.
Average time from referral to an implemented decision runs to about three months in Nicosia and Limassol, two months in Larnaca and Famagusta, and roughly six weeks in Paphos — figures the minister described as indicative, since progress depends on assessments being completed and reports delivered on time.
What it means for residents
For families with a child in the pipeline, the district you live in shapes how long you wait, and the committee cannot act until the required reports are in hand. That makes chasing assessments the practical lever parents actually control.
- Keep paperwork moving. Confirm that referral documents and specialist reports have reached the committee, since a missing report stalls the case regardless of the queue.
- Flag urgency. The ministry says urgent cases are prioritised, so ask the committee to record severity if your child's situation is acute.
- Watch the bill. Amending legislation sent to parliament on 12 October 2026 is meant to change the framework once passed, and the government plans to cover it by shifting existing special education budget lines.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
