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Lawmakers in Cyprus were visibly frustrated on Wednesday as parents and disability advocates shared stories of private schools turning away children with disabilities or refusing to let them bring classroom aides.
The issue was discussed during a tense meeting of Parliament’s Education Committee, where parents said some pre-primary and primary schools hide behind “internal regulations” and “students’ right to choose” to justify discrimination. In practice, they said, these schools are shutting the door on children who need support.
The reaction from MPs was swift and united: this can’t continue. They called on the Education Ministry to launch inspections and to finally close what they called a “glaring legal gap” that allows private schools to bypass inclusion rules.
DISY MP Giorgos Karoulas said the education of children with disabilities “is not optional; it’s a right.” He pushed for a law requiring every private school to allow chaperones and for the state to cover the costs. “This gap creates social and educational exclusion,” he said. “We have to fix it, just as we did in public schools.”
DIPA MP Alekos Tryfonidis didn’t mince words, calling the situation “a shame.” He said it was “unacceptable” that in 2025, private schools still aren’t obliged to include children with disabilities. “The ministry must change the law now. Every child deserves equal access and support, no matter what school they go to,” he said.
Independent MP Andreas Themistocleous added that it “does not honor the Republic of Cyprus” that any school would refuse a child over their needs. He reminded the committee that private schools can’t legally reject or expel students without the education minister’s consent and urged immediate checks on schools breaking the law.
The Education Committee plans to return to the issue in its next meeting to draft a bill ensuring that all children, whether in public or private education, have the same right to an inclusive classroom and a helping hand when they need it.
