Air conditioners should be installed and put into operation in all schools, so that students and teachers have better and safer learning and working conditions, as requested by the Parliament’s Education Committee, teachers’ organizations, parents, and the Panhellenic Union of Secondary School Teachers (PSEM). At the same time, they requested a clear timeline for the completion of the installation and operation of the air conditioning units, while the Ministry of Education assured them that this project would be 100% complete by the start of this school year.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Chrysanthos Savvides, in his opening remarks, noted the absence of the Limassol, Paphos, and Larnaca, which, although invited, did not attend today’s session on the issue of air conditioners. He noted that only the Nicosia School Board is always present and attends meetings in an organized manner, and he proposed that the Committee send a stern letter to the School Boards, while AKEL MP Christos Christofides proposed that they be summoned.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The DIKO Parliamentary Spokesperson and Deputy Chair of the Committee, Panikos Leonidou, who had tabled the issue, said that “we recognize that the Christodoulides government has demonstrated political will to address a long-standing problem,” while noting that significant progress has been made, as air conditioners have already been installed and are operating normally in several schools.
“The ultimate goal, however, remains to equip all schools so that students and teachers can enjoy better and safer learning and working conditions. Technical and energy-related challenges, particularly in older school buildings, are real. However, they cannot be used as an excuse for further delays. “Better coordination and close cooperation are needed between the Ministry of Education, the School Boards, the Cyprus Electricity Authority (AHK), and the Electromechanical Service,” he added.
As the DIKO party, Mr. Leonidou said, they will continue to closely monitor the project’s implementation and exercise parliamentary oversight, to ensure that the established timelines are met and that the installation and operation of air conditioning units are completed in all school facilities.
The Deputy Director of Secondary General Education, Dr. George Koutsidis, speaking before the Committee, said that “energy upgrades to schools, the installation of substations, low electrical loads, outdated electrical installations, and student safety while crews are working in schools—you can understand that the process of announcing the bids, the three phases, have caused the delay that is evident.”
However, he noted, the Ministry has by no means stopped its efforts; it has prioritized high schools and middle schools and is now moving on to elementary schools and kindergartens.
“We believe that this project will be 100% complete by the end of this school year,” he emphasized.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance stated that the funds are available and that provisions have been made for the following year as well, noting that 5 million has been allocated for this year, 10 million for the following year (2027) if the budget is approved.
The President of the Nicosia School Board, Nikos Megalemos, stated that there is a specific guideline that everyone follows regarding air conditioning specifications.
He noted that installation began in 2024, adding that they would not be able to complete it by 2026. “We had said it, we had mentioned it; our hope was that we would complete it by the end of 2026. Since it was mentioned that we would complete the project in 2027, it is impossible to finish by 2027, because where substations are needed, the EAC requires at least 18 months,” he added.
A spokesperson for the EAC stated that over the past two years they have received a total of 219 applications regarding inspections of air conditioning installations, of which 142 have been processed and 77 are still pending.
The President of OELMEK, Konstantinos Konstantinou, noted that progress has been made, adding, however, students are still sweltering in 40-degree heat, and the fact that the project is in its final stages means nothing to them; they are waiting for fully functional air conditioning in all classrooms.
POED President Myria Vassiliou noted that it is very important that the project has begun, but as an organization, they have requested a clear timeline and an explanation of the specifications. She noted that the inconsistency regarding the data and statements being made is a cause for concern, adding that there are conflicting reports regarding which air conditioners are functioning and which are not. “This information has never been presented to them, and we also express serious concern as to why the competent authority would engage in the process of altering the data. This suggests something to us. Furthermore, when there’s a power outage at a school, it means the fans aren’t working either. “So imagine 25 children in a classroom where not even the fans are working, and in some cases there are only two windows instead of four,” he added. They want, he said, safe conditions for the children and the staff.
OLTEK Secretary-General Lenos Loizou noted that at the Agios Lazaros Technical School, they requested 20 air conditioners, 12 were approved, and ultimately only 4 were installed.
As he explained, air conditioners were installed at some other Technical Schools with the help of donors and parent associations; but nothing was installed in Limassol; some were installed at the 3rd Nicosia School but do not work; and nothing was installed in Paphos.
The President of the Pancyprian Confederation of Primary School Parents’ Associations, Yiannos Ioannou, stated that the planning has failed, adding that in his child’s classroom on the first day, the air conditioners shut off every 5 minutes, there was only one fan operating in the room that “didn’t reach all the children, and the other one was broken.”
The President of the Pan-Cyprian Confederation of Federations of Parents’ Associations of Public Secondary Schools, Loizos Konstantinou, noted that while the process had begun, the goal of having them ready for secondary education by the summer had not been achieved.
The General Secretary of PSEM, Despoina Kyprianou, speaking before the Committee, said that progress had been made—some schools have air conditioners that are working— “but our main complaint is that the Ministry is stringing us along.”
“The Ministry had assured us—both two weeks ago and during a meeting we had with the Minister before the summer—that by the end of 2026, the units would be installed and fully operational. And now they’re coming back and changing it. We want to know. “Give us a timeline that you can actually meet,” he added, referring to their request to be allowed to wear shorts during the summer because the air conditioners aren’t working.
As he said, they sent a letter to the Ministry last Monday and have not yet received a response.
The Deputy Director of Secondary General Education, Dr. George Koutsidis, cited a relevant circular from the Ministry in his remarks.
The Committee’s Chairman, Chrysanthos Savvidis, stated that the installation and operation of air conditioning units in schools is a significant step toward improving learning and working conditions in public schools.
“We acknowledge and commend the fact that the current government made the policy decision and systematically launched this effort, moving forward with a project that should have been completed decades ago. However, despite the progress that has been made, there are still schools where students and teachers suffer from extremely high temperatures, while in many cases air conditioners have been installed but are not yet operational,” he added.
He noted that what has deeply distressed him today is that those most responsible for the air conditioners—that is, those who receive the funds to install the units and provide information— namely the School Boards—have not attended, despite having been invited, with the exception of the Nicosia and Latsia School Boards.
“Do they think they run their own little kingdoms and aren’t accountable to anyone? They receive funds from the Ministry of Education and were specifically summoned today to provide some explanations—to tell us why the air conditioning installations have not moved forward. Could it be the power company’s fault? As the Electric Company told us today, operations are proceeding normally; the Department of Electromechanical Services (T.H.M.Y.) tells us that we were given a list of 444 schools, and we’ve checked them all. So where’s the problem? They need to give us an explanation. They didn’t show up. Only the Nicosia School Board—and kudos to them—provided us with a complete report on what they’ve done. The rest? We will request at future meetings that, if they fail to appear, they be summoned,” he added.
DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis stated that this is first and foremost a matter of humane and dignified learning and working conditions for both students and teachers.
“Given the high temperatures in Cyprus, students and teachers cannot remain for hours in classrooms without air conditioning. The President of the Republic had announced that air conditioners would be installed in all schools within three years. We are here today, and unfortunately, that announcement has not yet been implemented. Many classrooms still lack air conditioning. Some classrooms have air conditioners, but they don’t work. In some schools, when they try to turn on the air conditioners, the power goes out, and they are left without electricity. “In some schools, they’re working, and this needs to happen in all schools,” he added.
“I want to note that yes, this process was initiated by this government; what we’re asking for is a specific plan and a timeline for when they’ll be fully installed in all school facilities in the near future,” he noted.
He also mentioned that they had received reassurance today that the units would be installed in all schools by the end of the school year.
“What we’re asking for is for air conditioners to be installed and operational in all schools. For us, the smooth operation of schools cannot be based on announcements and assurances. It requires serious planning, consistency, and action so that every child has both textbooks and the learning conditions they are entitled to,” he added.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides said in his remarks that three years ago he was given a clear timeline: September 2023—three years— by September 2026 we’ll be ready.
“We have demonstrated today with data that not even half of the schools have had air conditioners installed, not even in half of the schools, for various reasons; and where they have been installed, in many cases it was done on the initiative of parents’ associations, donors, or other authorities,” he added.
He noted that it must be understood that decent conditions in a classroom are not a luxury.
“It is a direct factor that affects the performance of both teachers and students, given the temperatures we are currently experiencing in Cyprus, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius in some districts and high humidity—it is simply not possible to have a classroom with 25 children without air conditioning, and in many cases, as verified today by the students and parents themselves, no ventilation, to maintain humane learning conditions. “We are very concerned that this situation—as we have been warning for the past three years regarding air conditioning—will drag on,” he added.
ELAM Member of Parliament Polys Anogiriatis stated that it is particularly concerning that the average operational efficiency of air conditioners is only 30%, a figure that encompasses installation, inspection, and operation.
“At the same time, based on the information we received and the schedule that was presented, there is reasonable concern that the project may not be completed even by 2027. As ELAM, we are asking for specific details. How many units are actually operational today? What are the reasons the rest are not operational? And, most importantly, a clear and binding timeline for the full completion of the project,” he concluded.
READ ALSO: Doctor with PIS license at the suspicious Larnaca Center: Lawyer instructed to investigate the case | AlphaNews
Source: CNA
