78 Schools in Cyprus Still Await Seismic Retrofitting After 26 Years

The Ministry of Education of Cyprus is facing significant financial and technical challenges in implementing projects to upgrade school infrastructure.

During a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Technical Services Director Andreas Marangos stated that the scale of the tasks far exceeds available resources.

The development budget for 2026 stands at €35 million, with mid-term plans allocating €40 million each for 2027 and 2028.

However:

• Projects currently underway are valued at nearly €84 million;
• Immediate upcoming projects require an additional €7.5 million;
• A list of long-term projects also exists.

Funding is restricted by expenditure ceilings set by the Ministry of Finance for each department.

The seismic retrofitting program for 730 school buildings began in 2000 and remains unfinished.

There are 78 schools left that were originally deemed low-risk and postponed to a later stage.

Yet, according to a technical-economic study, after 26 years, some of these buildings now require total demolition rather than just retrofitting.

According to Marangos, construction costs have risen significantly over the last decade, further complicating project delivery within a limited budget.