TRNC Ministry of Education opens new school building in Çayırova to replace earthquake-risk facility

On the first day of the new school year, September 14, TRNC Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu opened a new primary school building in the village of Çayırova in the İskele district. The previous building was demolished because it did not meet seismic safety requirements.

The new building was assembled using a prefabricated classroom model: this type of structure can be built faster than conventional buildings and is more resistant to tremors. The opening ceremony was attended by İskele District Administrator Ertuğrul Toroslu, Mehmetçik-Büyükkonuk Mayor Fatma Çimen Tuğlu and school principal Melih Yıldız.

Çavuşoğlu said that opening the school year in Çayırova was a goal of the ministry: a village school should provide the same conditions as an urban school. According to him, the issue of air conditioning has been resolved in all schools across the country, around 1,900 interactive whiteboards have been installed, and the ministry plans to add another 300 each year.

The minister also addressed the failure of school transport operators to run their routes on the first day of the school year. He noted that transport operators’ payments had been increased by 40% a week earlier and said that the government would continue to meet its obligations, as it does in other areas.

Mehmetçik-Büyükkonuk Mayor Fatma Çimen Tuğlu noted that good things happen when the state and local authorities work together, and promised to build a playground at the school.

The school year in the TRNC began on September 14: around 59,000 students took their places in 196 schools, working with approximately 6,500 teachers. Secondary schools and lyceums begin classes on September 15.