Christodoulides promises air conditioning in all Cyprus schools by 2028

All schools in Cyprus will have air conditioning by 2028, President Nikos Christodoulides said. He was speaking on the first day of the school year at Agios Dometios Secondary School in Nicosia.

The state has allocated more than €130 million to modernise school infrastructure. “We do not approach decisions in education as an accounting exercise,” Christodoulides said.

Air conditioning is being installed fastest in primary schools in the Famagusta district, where 65% of buildings have been equipped. The figure is 46% in Limassol, 39% in Larnaca, 24% in Nicosia and 16% in Paphos.

Work has progressed further in secondary schools. In Larnaca, all gymnasiums and lyceums are equipped with air conditioning, while in Limassol the systems have been installed and are operating in 90% of schools.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou noted that some older school buildings are not yet ready for installation: their electrical wiring was not designed to handle such a load. Before installing the equipment, the ministry, together with school boards and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), is replacing the wiring and bringing the buildings into compliance with fire safety requirements.