Newsroom
Parents at Episkopi Primary School have given the Education Ministry until Thursday to provide written commitments and clear deadlines for tackling long-standing problems at the school.
Parents staged a peaceful protest outside the school on Wednesday evening, expressing frustration over the condition of the premises and the lack of progress on measures they say are needed to address the school's growing needs.
The action forms part of a campaign by organised parents across Kouris Municipality, who are seeking concrete solutions to problems affecting schools in the area. They have warned that they will not send their children to school on Monday if they do not receive a satisfactory response.
Problems with classrooms
The parents say Episkopi Primary School is ageing and that some of its prefabricated classrooms are also in poor condition.
Niki Andreou, secretary of the school's Parents' Association, told 24news that several of the temporary classrooms have significant problems. One of the newly installed units, she said, still has no electricity.
Parents argue that relying on additional prefabricated classrooms is not a sustainable answer as the number of pupils and the school's needs increase.
Calls for expansion and new facilities
Among the main demands is an expansion of the primary school, along with the construction of a multipurpose hall that could be used by both the school and the neighbouring nursery.
Parents are also asking for a covered basketball court, proper maintenance of the existing buildings and full implementation of the school's Health and Safety Plan.
They have additionally called for planning to proceed for the construction of a new school, reflecting their view that the current facilities cannot adequately meet the community's long-term needs.
Deadline set for Education Ministry
The Episkopi protest comes as organised parents throughout Kouris Municipality press the Education Ministry for action on school infrastructure.
The parents have set September 10 as their deadline for receiving written assurances and specific timetables for addressing the problems identified at schools in the area.
If no satisfactory response is received, they have said they will escalate their action. Keeping children at home on Monday is currently the first concrete measure they have announced.
