Primary schools re-open on Monday under pandemic conditions

Primary schools will welcome 50,005 pupils back on Monday, marking the second school year beginning during the coronavirus pandemic and the third affected by it.

“May the new year be creative, fruitful, productive and be accompanied by every personal and family joy and happiness for each and every one,” the education ministry’s primary education director Marios Stylianides said.

“Even though yet another school year is beginning in pandemic conditions, the experience gained by educators in the past year will help us better face any issues that might arise,” he told the Cyprus News Agency.

The health of children and school staff will be the foundation upon which schools will build everything they are expected to, that is giving children an education, he added.

Teachers reported for duty last Monday in anticipation of the new school year, which will begin on September 13, when pupils will be sorted into classrooms and receive their schedules and books.

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou told Cybc that parents will be able to accompany their first graders to school on their first day, and that to accommodate this the ministry has set their arrival time at 9.30am to avoid overcrowding.

A total of 330 primary school will open on Monday, welcoming 50,005 pupils amounting to around 2,672 classrooms. This raises demand for teaching staff to 4,532.

In addition, nine special schools and 119 special units will operate this year.

The education minister will visit primary schools in Nicosia on Monday. First he will go to Ayios Dometios primary school before visiting Constantinopoleos primary school.