We’re counting down to the return of students and teachers to the classrooms, with preparations for the new school year in full swing. Air conditioners, water coolers, security cameras, and other improvements are expected to change the daily lives of students and teachers starting with the new school year.
Speaking to AlphaNews.Live, the President of the Pancyprian Federation of School Boards, Nikos Megalemos, discussed the progress of the work, noting that the installation of air conditioners in kindergartens is nearly complete. In high schools, however, the air conditioners have been installed, though electrical work is still ongoing due to a shortage of electricians.
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In middle schools, as he noted, the process is moving forward, though it has not yet reached 100 percent, as there is still work that must be completed before the start of the school year.
“The installation itself isn’t the problem. The problem is our electrical systems. At this stage, we’ve scaled back our requirements for electricians. We have 12 registered, and four are listed in the dynamic procurement system; we’re trying to group the schools together. Large high schools have 40–60 air conditioners, and middle schools have about 20–30. So we’re trying to consolidate them so that a small contractor can take on the project.”
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According to Mr. Megalemos, we currently have air conditioners installed in 88 schools. Of these, 48 will be fully operational—excluding preschools. Although officials had set a final deadline of the end of 2026, Mr. Megalemos considers this impossible.
“We’re trying to finish as soon as possible. We had estimated that by the end of 2026, the air conditioners would be installed everywhere. I see that as impossible. They may be installed, but having them all operational by the end of 2026—no.”
Water Coolers in Schools
Regarding the installation of drinking water coolers in public schools—a policy that began to be implemented during the 2025–2026 school year, with an annual budget allocation of €130,000 in the Ministry of Education’s budget and a provision for installing coolers in 25 schools each year – Mr. Megalemos stated that the procedures are proceeding as planned.
“We have already awarded a contract to install water chillers in schools; the bids were much lower than the 130,000 euros that was mentioned. We have the 130,000-euro budget; we selected some schools for a pilot program to see how well the initiative performs. We received the bids and sent the evaluation of the chillers to the Ministry of Education—because, as School Boards, we did not have the specialized staff to assess the chillers’ quality— —they replied that they were acceptable, and we will proceed with their installation in those schools.”
The installation, however, is not that simple, Mr. Megalemos explained, since electrical wiring must be run to where the water chiller is located, and drainage systems must also be installed.
“These are minor issues, but they take time to resolve. We have 130,000; we’ll continue until we’ve spent the funds provided by the Ministry of Environment and Energy through the ‘Prasinizo’ program. We’re constantly conducting water analyses because there’s a reservoir inside the chiller. We have a contract with the state chemical laboratory, and this is something we’re following through on for water analysis in all schools.”
Are the cameras in schools effective?
Regarding the installation of cameras in schools, Mr. Megalemos noted, among other things, that it has proven to be a very effective measure—one that has yielded results—as violations have decreased significantly.
In two schools, however, officials realized that the number of cameras installed was insufficient, as minors continued to find ways to commit infractions.
“We notified the company to come and install as many additional cameras as necessary, so that there are absolutely no blind spots in these schools. We learn and we act.”
Any other outstanding issues do not directly affect education, Mr. Megalemos clarifies, assuring that, at least as far as the School Boards are concerned, schools will be as ready as possible to welcome teachers and students. The remaining outstanding issues affect the School Boards themselves in terms of carrying out their work, Mr. Megalemos clarified.
