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More families across Cyprus will have access to full-day schools from September, as the government expands the program to 381 schools nationwide.
The number has risen sharply from 220 in 2023, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou announced following Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
“The full-day school is not a childcare facility. Teaching takes place,” Michaelidou said.
For working parents, the expansion means more children will be able to remain at school beyond the regular morning timetable instead of families having to arrange private lessons, childcare, or help from grandparents during the afternoon.
Michaelidou described the full-day school program as one of the government’s most important education initiatives, saying it supports families while giving children more time to develop practical and academic skills.
The program's annual budget has also increased to about €6 million.
Sixty new full-day schools are due to operate during the coming academic year. The Cabinet approved another three on Tuesday as special cases because of their location and circumstances.
They are the nursery school in Dasaki Achnas and Deryneia Third Primary School, both serving communities near the buffer zone, as well as Souni-Zanakia Primary School, which serves an area affected by wildfires.
‘Not simply a place to leave children’
The minister stressed that the program is intended to provide structured education rather than function as an afternoon holding area for children until their parents finish work.
“The full-day school is not a childcare facility. Teaching takes place,” Michaelidou said.
She said the ministry has introduced formal lesson plans and set educational material and supervision to ensure the afternoon program is connected to what pupils learn during normal school hours.
School principals are being given time to oversee afternoon activities, while ministry inspectors will monitor and evaluate the program.
The employment conditions of teachers working in full-day schools have also been changed. Teachers are now appointed through the Educational Service Commission and employed under contracts, according to the minister.
Michaelidou said the changes were designed to improve the quality and consistency of the program, rather than focusing only on increasing the number of participating schools.
The expansion could offer some welcome breathing room to parents trying to match school hours with the working day. Its success, however, will depend on whether every school has enough teachers, suitable facilities, and an afternoon program that keeps children learning without simply making their school day feel longer.
