Cyprus Audit Office to publish report on air conditioners in schools in two weeks

The Cyprus Audit Office will publish a report within the next two weeks on how air conditioners are being installed in the country’s schools. The audit has been completed, but its publication was delayed by the Ministry of Education, the office’s representative Yota Michael said.

“Our audit is complete. We could already have published the report. The delay is linked to the Ministry of Education’s inadequate response,” Michael said. According to her, the auditors have “quite a few observations”.

The office’s technical department examined the planning, coordination, tender procedures and progress of work for 2024–2026. The programme covers 209 of Cyprus’s 758 schools. The auditors carried out spot checks on site and compared the ministry’s plan with the actual outcome as of July 2026.

The issue was discussed in parliament on 16 September. The Ministry of Education said at the time that the work would be completed 100% during the current academic year. Representatives of school committees objected, saying the project would not be completed even in 2027: preparing the electrical infrastructure in old buildings takes up to 18 months.

The 2026 budget allocates €5 million to the programme, while €10 million has been proposed for 2027. Of the 219 applications for connections submitted to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), 142 have been processed and another 77 are awaiting their turn.