Angry parent takes gun to school in the north

Teacher unions in the north are calling for safety measures in Turkish Cypriot schools, following an incident where an angry parent pulled a gun on a primary teacher during class.

According to media reports, KTOS union leader Sener Elcil has condemned the incident where a father entered the school premises and headed to a class to have a word with some of the pupils.

But when the teacher attempted to intervene, the parent pulled a gun on the teacher as well as a school administration official and other staff.

The armed parent was arrested by police, according to the union leader.

Elcil made public statements during a protest on Wednesday, calling on authorities to introduce safety measures in schools and also increase funding so that adequate infrastructure can be put into place.

“It cannot be acceptable that armed parents can walk to school and threaten teachers,” Elcil said.

The protest takes place as educators and the public in the south are calling for additional safety measures following an incident where two school boys in Larnaca were abducted just before first class period.

A debate has ensued whether or not security cameras should be installed in schools in the south, with officials warning that privacy laws in the Republic of Cyprus could be violated. 

In the north, incidents of violence and rape have also been on the increase recently, with people calling on authorities to do more.