Hundreds of secondary school students across Cyprus were outside their classrooms during the fourth teaching period, protesting the shortages of textbooks and air conditioning systems and demanding humane conditions in schools—safe and dignified schools— a reduction in the curriculum, respect for students’ voices, and substantive responses to their demands.
In a statement, PSEM protests the delays in installing air conditioners and argues that despite official circulars and students’ victories regarding summer attire, several school administrations continue to ban shorts. Students are also protesting dangerous school facilities, noting that “they will not back down from their demands nor tolerate the disparagement of the student community.”
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SEE ALSO: Students outside the classrooms during the Education Committee meeting
Here’s what President Georgia Savva said on the Alpha News program:
Ready to listen to the PSEEM, discuss any concerns, and inform the children about everything that is already underway, says Deputy Minister of Education Athina Michailidou, noting that dialogue and information must always precede any walkout.
READ ALSO: Teachers Support Student Walkout: “The Ministry of Education Should Take Them Seriously”
OELMEK Stands with the Students
OELMEK states that it supports the decision of the organized students to boycott their classes and calls on the Ministry of Education to listen seriously to the students and provide concrete answers to the issues they raise.
In a statement, the teachers’ union notes that students are a fundamental part of the educational community and their voices must be heard. When young people choose to take a collective and democratic stand on issues that affect them, the government has a duty to listen carefully to their messages and seek meaningful dialogue with them, the statement notes.
OELMEK points out that it has repeatedly highlighted problems affecting school operations and the quality of education provided, and in many of these cases, it has identified shared concerns amongteachers and students. In particular, it notes that the lack of functioning air conditioning in a large number of schools is of vital importance because it is a matter of health, safety, and decent learning and working conditions.
“Our support does not mean that we view the loss of instructional time as a solution to these problems. On the contrary, the goal must be to address problems in a timely manner so that students and teachers do not have to resort to protest measures to be heard,” he states.
Public schools improve when we listen to those who experience them on a daily basis—the students and teachers—concludes the OELMEK statement.
READ ALSO: Students returned to school in Chrysochous to find plaster on their desks; classrooms have been leaking for three years
DIPA: The Ministry of Education should provide information on timelines for textbooks and infrastructure
The Democratic Alliance calls on the Ministry of Education to clearly outline the timelines for completing actions regarding textbooks and infrastructure in schools and to ensure that the necessary solutions are implemented without further delays.
In a statement, the ministry notes that despite efforts “the delivery of textbooks for certain subjects is expected to be completed as late as October, while at the same time the installation and operation of air conditioning units in schools is being delayed.”
It notes that these issues highlight the need for better planning, timely coordination, and more effective implementation of the necessary measures by the government, noting that public education requires consistency, organization, and investment.
