Most public preschools, high schools, and nearly all middle schools will begin the new school year with air conditioning installed, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said on Thursday, as the government turns its attention to completing work in primary schools.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Michaelidou said her ministry had first needed to address deficiencies in schools’ electrical systems before air conditioning units could be installed, an issue also remarked upon in a recent audit office report.
She affirmed that every preschool is now equipped with air conditioning, aided in part by financial assistance from parents’ associations, while all high schools have likewise been equipped due to the fact that classrooms remain open .
She added that around half of primary schools will also have air conditioning when pupils return, with the remaining installations becoming the ministry’s priority during the coming months.
“The school year will begin with this picture, with the emphasis being on primary schools until the end of the year,” she said.
The latest timetable marks further progress in the government’s programme to equip classrooms with cooling systems following repeated concerns over high indoor temperatures during the summer months.
The rollout has previously faced technical challenges after electrical contractors warned that ageing infrastructure and insufficient electrical capacity in some schools could prevent systems from operating safely without substantial upgrades.
Industry representatives cautioned earlier this year that overloaded circuits and inadequate cabling could lead to power failures if air conditioning units were switched on simultaneously before electrical works had been completed.
The education ministry has maintained throughout the programme that installations have been carried out in coordination with the electricity authority (EAC) and that electrical upgrades have formed part of that project.
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