Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
The day has finally come. Thousands of Cyprus’ teenagers returned to classrooms Monday, ending weeks of summer holiday where “I’m bored” became the national soundtrack. Parents across the island exhaled, some with relief, some with guilt, and most with a fresh coffee finally sipped in silence.
The Ministry of Education insists the year ahead will be about nurturing creativity and critical thinking. Which sounds great, though most parents would settle for homework actually being written down, let alone done.
Still, not everything is smooth. In Limassol, a school board slammed shutters shut in protest over staffing shortages and aging buildings, sparking a war of words with the ministry. The government called the move “extortionate,” proving that even before the first bell rang, the grown-ups were already arguing.
But there are fresh starts, too. Two pilot technical high schools opened, one in Nicosia and one in Limassol, offering hands-on learning in mechanical science and construction. For parents whose kids can’t sit still, this might be a small miracle.
Infrastructure, officials promise, is sturdy. Ninety percent of schools now meet anti-seismic standards, according to Technical Services director Andreas Maragos. The other 10%, he assured, are “low risk.” Parents may want to double-check which percentage their child’s school falls into before relaxing too much.
The other big storyline, teacher evaluations, remains unresolved, with the ministry and unions politely disagreeing all summer long. The official mood is “very good,” according to Education Minister Athena Michaelidou. Teachers, however, seem less than thrilled.
For parents, though, Monday’s return boiled down to the basics: schoolbags that mysteriously got smaller over summer, lunchboxes packed under duress, and the glorious quiet of an empty house. The policy debates can wait; for now, it’s time to enjoy that second cup of coffee while it’s still hot.
