Education ministry backs Paphos school’s decision to expel students

The education ministry on Friday has ratified the decision of the teachers’ association of the Paphos Technical School to expel six students, as confirmed by the school’s director Stefanos Eleftheriou.

However, the authority granted permission for the students to enrol in other educational institutions within Paphos.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Eleftheriou said that most of the six expelled students have already sought enrolment in other schools within the Paphos district, adding that they are likely to start classes as soon as Monday.

Regarding the procedure, Eleftheriou said that the education ministry found the actions of the teachers’ association of the Paphos Technical School to be appropriate.

The six students were allegedly involved in an incident that occurred around 20 days ago, which resulted in severe injuries to two other students.

On top of that, one of the expelled students is also implicated in a recent incident where a teacher was injured after being hit by a thrown chair.

Eleftheriou clarified that during this particular incident, the chair was thrown as students were exiting a classroom. The student claimed that it was an unintentional act without any specific intent to harm the teacher.

The injured teacher received immediate medical attention at the A&E department of Paphos general hospital and was discharged after initial treatment.

The school administration has outlined that the six expelled students have the option to transfer to other schools within the region. Furthermore, as per regulations, they retain the right to appeal the decision to the education ministry.

This decision is currently under scrutiny, and an appellate body is expected to thoroughly review whether proper procedures were adhered to and if the decision was justified. A representative from the school and the students’ parents will be present during the review process to advocate for their respective positions.