Newsroom
For years, Cyprus has talked about reforming special education. For years, nothing has happened. And the country’s most vulnerable children are paying the price.
Lawmakers slammed the government Tuesday for dragging its feet on legislation to modernize special and integrated education, calling the delay unprecedented and morally unacceptable. The current framework, they said, is 27 years old, outdated, and failing families who depend on it.
“It’s a shame that we haven’t managed to solve this,” said DIKO MP Pavlos Mylonas, chairman of the Parliamentary Education Committee. “Millions are needed, political decisions must be made, but children and families cannot wait any longer.”
DISY MP Giorgos Karoulas described overcrowded special schools, the scarcity of day centers, and children effectively left on the streets. “Extending age limits piecemeal is not enough. Multi-purpose, lifelong schools are needed, and fast,” he said.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides called the government’s handling of the issue “a mockery,” pointing out that promises to reform the 1999 legislation were made in 2024 and 2025, yet here we are in 2026, and Parliament has no bill to debate. He detailed “human tragedies” told by parents and school directors: therapy rooms converted to storage, special pools unusable, and schools unable to accept new students.
DIPA MP Alekos Tryfonidis accused authorities of “political deception” and demanded the bill be finalized within 15 days to allow debate before Parliament closes for elections. He also stressed the urgent need to support caregivers and expand facilities, including night centers, for children with disabilities. He suggested banks could provide €50 million as part of corporate social responsibility, a move he framed as both necessary and morally compelling.
“The delays aren’t just a bureaucratic failure; they’re a human one,” Tryfonidis said. “We owe it to these children and their families to act now.”
