Protest at a high school in Larnaca over power outages and removed fans

Students of Lyceum Makariou III in Larnaca held a one-hour protest today due to problems with electricity supply when turning on the air conditioners.

The chairman of organized parents in Larnaca, Kostas Costa, reported that air conditioners are installed in the school, but the outdated electrical system cannot handle the load: turning them on causes power outages. He added that in some classrooms fans were also removed, making the rooms stuffy, which led to the protest.

The Chair of the Larnaca School Board, Yanna Nicolaou, confirmed that the disruptions are solely due to the outdated electrical network. She noted that since 1990 no work has been done to increase the network’s capacity, while new electrical and electronic devices have continuously been added.

Following an inspection, the School Board’s electrical engineer found that the school operates at the limit of its capacity and is approximately 30% behind other schools in Larnaca in terms of electrical resources. Electricians are on-site: losses were detected in the multipurpose hall, where electrical installation and seismic reinforcement upgrades had previously been planned but not implemented.

The School Board reported that procedures for electrical modernization are in an advanced stage and a tender for the works will be announced soon; until the modernization is completed, parents demand prompt restoration of electricity and installation of fans in all classrooms.