Newsroom
Five of Cyprus’s six primary school grades are set to begin the new academic year without their mathematics textbooks, as delays in the production and delivery of a number of school books continue.
Only pupils in the fifth grade will have their mathematics books available when schools open for the 2026–2027 academic year. The corresponding books for the other five grades are expected to arrive in October.
The shortage affects 15 of the approximately 650 different books scheduled for distribution to primary school pupils. According to the Ministry of Education’s Director of Primary Education, Mario Stylianides, the delay involving the first mathematics textbook is considered the most significant issue.
Other delayed publications include the third-grade history textbook, first-grade science material and books for design and technology classes. In some cases, alternative teaching material is already available, reducing the immediate impact on lessons.
The Ministry had begun the tender process almost a year ago, but at least two contractors failed to meet their commitments to deliver the books by August, according to Stylianides.
In response, the ministry cancelled the affected contracts and assigned the work to new contractors in an effort to prevent further delays.
Many of the companies involved in printing school textbooks are based in Greece, as Cyprus has a limited number of printing facilities capable of handling such large-scale orders.
As a temporary measure, the Government Printing Office has agreed to produce booklets containing the opening sections of the delayed mathematics textbooks. These are expected to be delivered to schools in the coming days, allowing teachers and pupils to begin working with the required material while they wait for the full textbooks to arrive.
