The budget of the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth for 2027 amounts to €1.699 billion, representing a 5% increase—or €88 million—compared to 2026, said the Ministry’s political head, Athina Michaelidou, on Friday as she presented the Ministry’s 2027 budget to the House Finance Committee.
In remarks following the presentation, the Minister said that this reflects the consistency and continuity of government policy, which places education among its top priorities.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Through a coherent reform plan, we aim to free the education system from the logic of piecemeal measures and are working toward a holistic framework, adopting a new culture of quality and effectiveness. The 2027 Budget serves precisely this strategy. “It is a tool for implementing our reform policy, with clear priorities, targeted investments, scientific evidence, and continuous evaluation,” he added.
He noted that the Budget’s focus is reflected in the quality of education, the strengthening of the school’s pedagogical role, and the improvement of learning outcomes.
“Educational reform is being implemented gradually, with a holistic approach, consistency, and continuous evaluation. We are not seeking to increase spending, but rather to make better use of resources and human capital, so that every intervention has a tangible impact on the daily lives of students and teachers,” he added.
He also noted that the targeted budget increases reflect their priorities and include, by way of example only: Special Education, with increased funding to strengthen support structures and improve the services provided, Optional Full-Day Schools, with an expansion of the program and improvements to its quality; the prevention and response to violence and delinquency, by strengthening intervention programs and psychosocial support; Preschool Education, with an emphasis on early intervention and equal learning opportunities; the upgrading of school infrastructure to ensure modern, safe, and functional schools, and the digital transformation of education through the use of new technologies and modern learning tools.
He emphasized that 2027 is a year of continuity and consolidation of educational reforms.
“We are moving forward with a plan, scientific evidence, and political will to modernize the curricula and shift the focus to skills, the implementation of the new evaluation system for teachers and educational work, the modernization of the appointment system and Special Education, as well as the strengthening of inclusive policies. “Without changes and reforms, we cannot have the kind of school our children deserve,” she added.
The Minister emphasized that they do not overlook the difficulties, nor do they claim that all problems have been resolved.
“We do, however, have a clear direction and the determination to continue, with consistency and responsibility, making the necessary changes. Education does not change through wishful thinking, nor by maintaining the status quo of the past. It changes through decisions that serve the country’s future. “Our vision remains steadfast: a school system that embraces all children, strengthens their potential, cultivates knowledge, skills, and values, and prepares the citizens of tomorrow,” she noted.
The Minister of Education told the Committee that their vision in recent years has been to foster citizens with skills, a sense of responsibility, democratic values, a sense of historical identity, as well as respect for diversity, citizens with well-rounded personalities, capable of contributing creatively to the development of society, and citizens capable of facing the challenges of the future with determination and courage.
Everything they do, he noted, is encompassed within six key pillars: educational policies for students, Human Resources, Administrative Structures/Infrastructure, Higher and Lifelong Education, Sports, and Youth.
He noted that the Ministry’s goals are to transition to a modern, student-centered, and inclusive school system, as well as to cultivate competencies, skills, and knowledge, so that the educational system can be more effective and efficient (substantial improvement in learning outcomes).
Regarding the budget’s philosophy, the Minister of Education stated that it involves implementing measures that emphasize the educational role of schools and the well-being of students and teachers, as well as the targeted and more effective utilization of human resources, to achieve better results (utilizing staff to improve outcomes).
Regarding how the above objectives will be implemented, the Minister said that they believe that without making radical changes and reforms, they will not achieve the results they want; for this reason, their reforms are focused on four pillars.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel. All educational systems—especially in Europe—that have managed to improve their outcomes and achieve better results for their students have systematically focused on the quality of their teachers. This is no coincidence. The primary factor determining quality in an education system is the teacher. “So, we are investing in teachers,” she added.
Regarding expenditures, the Minister said that most relate to personnel, because without staff, they cannot implement any initiatives.
“This year, by decision of the Ministry of Finance, grants to state universities have been added to regular expenditures, while this amount has been removed from development expenditures. “It’s more of a technical issue,” she noted.
The Minister responded to questions from Members of Parliament regarding, among other things, the PISA results, the teacher appointment system, teacher evaluations, violence and delinquency in schools, artificial intelligence in schools, infrastructure, international exams, shortages of textbooks and teachers, technical education, sports facilities, actual expenditures, technical services, and staffing issues.
The Minister of Education said, among other things, regarding PISA that if she were asked today whether we would do better on the next survey, the answer would be that we would not do well, because no fundamental changes are being made to our education system.
She noted that gradual changes are needed, adding that Cyprus has excellent teachers with master’s degrees, but they lack the foundation to do their jobs properly and have lacked motivation for many years.
“That is why we have invested in the appointment system, which will be before Parliament very soon. We cannot afford any setbacks there. A 12-year transition period is, in my view, criminal. Today, this government is called upon to address the distortions—which include the people who have worked hard, whom we respect and in whom we invest, and whom we are keeping within the system— but also to correct the distortions in the exams. It’s unacceptable that university graduates are passing this exam at a rate of only 2% or 3%. Something is going on,” she added. “So,” the Minister continued, “we’re proposing a balanced approach so we can finally move forward.”
“In other developed countries, you evaluate your teachers based on other criteria. There’s no tenure; you look at student outcomes, and it’s up to the principal, who has the authority to fire them. We, on the other hand, are civil servants. That’s what we want—most people want tenure. So, we have to screen who gets hired. It’s clear. We want them to be motivated. We’ve provided opportunities through performance evaluations,” he added.
Regarding PISA, he said, there is a plan and there is a goal.
As for infrastructure, Ms. Michaelidou said that funding for school infrastructure will increase to €53 million in 2027, compared to €43 million in 2026 and €36 million in 2025.
As she noted, this represents an increase of €10 million compared to the current year, with the Ministry planning upgrades to school facilities and the implementation of 23 large-scale projects.
He also said that the Ministry of Education is planning to provide free breakfasts by 2027, while social workers will be assigned on a pilot basis to schools with high rates of misbehavior to support students and families, and there are plans to strengthen full-day schools, programs for gifted children, and school counselors, while 1,925 children will benefit from the expansion of free, compulsory pre-primary education.
Responding to the issue of textbooks, the Minister said that it was an unexpected development to which the Ministry responded immediately, noting that for years there had never been a problem with textbooks.
Regarding technical education, the Minister said that the number of students enrolled in technical education has doubled, programs have been upgraded, and students have been given more options.
Concluding her responses to the Members of Parliament’s questions, the Minister said that unless radical changes are made, no improvements can be expected.
Statements by Members of Parliament
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, DIKO Member of Parliament Chrysanthos Savvides, stated, among other things, that although the Ministry of Education has the largest budget, “unfortunately, we are not seeing the expected results, even though the largest portion—nearly 90% of the budget—is allocated to teachers’ salaries.”
“Nevertheless, this is an expense, and therefore our education system must ensure that its graduates possess the necessary academic foundation, so that they can meet the modern demands of the times, be competitive in international assessments and competitions, and effectively respond to the needs of society,” he added.
He noted that, unfortunately, many schools are overcrowded, and this is the biggest problem.
As he said, no government had ever established a plan for the construction of classrooms and school buildings, resulting in this overcrowding, “which has led to all these prefabricated classrooms, and this is a huge problem for a European Cyprus in 2026.”
Another huge problem, Mr. Savvides continued, is the curriculum, and here they are calling for and demanding a curriculum that meets the modern needs of our time.
Regarding special education, Mr. Savvidis said that it took 27 years for new legislation to be introduced, and that the discussion will begin in the Education Committee in mid-November; they hope the study will be completed as soon as possible, so that they can establish a new legislative framework to improve the education system in Cyprus.
DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis stated, among other things, that education is one of the most important investments for Cyprus’s future.
“That is why the state budget should not be limited to increasing spending, but should be characterized by targeted policies, a focus on development, and measurable results. Cyprus allocates significant resources to education, with spending on education accounting for 13.2% of public spending. “However, the budget is not yielding the expected results. Despite increased investments, student learning outcomes continue to be a cause for concern,” he added.
He noted that in PISA 2025, Cyprus has the highest percentage of students below the baseline level in reading comprehension in the entire EU, at 62.1%.
“We also rank last in the natural sciences and second-to-last in mathematics. The real question is not just how much money we spend, but how effectively we use it and what changes in the daily lives of students, teachers, and families. “It is not enough to increase spending if we do not simultaneously improve results,” he added.
As he said, the success of a budget is not judged by the amount of funding announced, but by the results achieved.
“We need a budget with clear goals, specific timelines, transparency, and evaluation mechanisms. The government must be able to provide concrete data: How much has academic performance improved? How many schools have been upgraded? How many families have been served? How much more effective has the educational process become?” he added.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides said in his remarks, among other things, that “For many years now, we have heard some people cite the results of our educational system—primarily as reflected in international exams—to justify the changes being made.
“However, the changes made over the past 15 years have, in many cases, been heading in the wrong direction. They are steps backward, not steps forward. The result is clear. From just below average, we’ve finally hit rock bottom,” he said.
As he said, “Based on the latest PISA results, one might—and we might as well—criticize the institution of international exams, but I repeat, this was the criterion used to justify all the changes, which in many cases reflected certain obsessions, for other reasons, such as the need for consistently measurable results, as if schools were factories—such as the quarterly exams.”
He also noted that the Ministry of Education’s budget has increased.
“I want to point out, however, that based on the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the money we spend on education has decreased from 7.1% to 4.9%. In other words, for every 100 euros this country produced, 7.1 euros went to public education. Now, that amount has dropped to 4.9 euros. At the same time, we have shortages of textbooks, shortages of teachers, most air conditioners aren’t working, and so on. “This is a snapshot that sums up the reality in every classroom, in every school,” he added.
He also noted that “significant steps have been taken in recent years, thanks to AKEL’s support in Parliament, such as the positive expansion of pre-primary education, the abolition of the unacceptable practice of outsourcing services, and the abolition of the unacceptable four-monthly exams that, unfortunately, victimized generations of educators.”
“We will maintain this constructive approach. We will boldly denounce whatever we see that is wrong. When positive steps are taken, we will support them,” he noted.
ELAM MP Marios Pelekanos, said in his remarks that his party had raised specific questions, including how the Ministry can play its own role in addressing the low birth rate.
Regarding skills development, Mr. Pelekanos welcomed the Ministry’s initiatives, highlighting the question raised by ELAM regarding how to identify any gaps or weaknesses, “so that we can take corrective measures and continuously update our policies.”
He also mentioned ELAM’s request for specific statistical data from recent years on children with a migrant background in schools, broken down by nationality.
He also noted that they had requested information on the Ministry’s strategy regarding technical education, emphasizing that there is a significant need for technical professionals in Cyprus.
Finally, regarding Turkish Cypriot students residing in the occupied areas, Mr. Pelekanos pointed out that ELAM requested information on the funds and the purposes for which they are spent by the Ministry to enable these individuals to attend private schools.
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Source: KYPE
