Large schools are ‘nests for delinquency’, parents’ association chairman Yiannos Ioannou said on Wednesday, as he called for the size of schools in Cyprus to be reduced.

Speaking to the House education committee, he said the large size of some schools allows children to get away with bad behaviour.

“Now, we are talking about giant schools, which are becoming nests for delinquency. This must be eliminated,” he said.

He added that for this reason, “the state must come and start making schools smaller”.

He also spoke on the matter of all-day schools, saying the education ministry should bear the cost of feeding children who spend all day at school.

“The ministry’s goal is to extend the all-day school programme until 2028, but we believe it should be done properly, adding lessons beyond using schools as car parks and using their time creatively,” he said, criticising the programmes offered by schools in afternoons thus far.

All-day schools are still being operated on a pilot basis in Cyprus, with the education ministry saying such programmes are complementary to the morning programme”, and will make schools “more inclusive”.

It had also added that such programmes are typically “flexible” and “based on the needs and interests of the pupils who choose to attend, providing them with a safe learning environment”.

At one such pilot programme at Nicosia’s Ayios Dhometios gymnasium, 20 first-year pupils remain at school between 1.35pm and 4.35pm.

Pupils are offered lunch and then a programme which includes guidance for completing their homework, as well as support in mathematics and Greek, and creative activities based on their interests, including sports, art and theatre.

The ministry said the programme is being implemented with the support of the European Union’s directorate-general for structural reform support (DG Reform) and the education sector of the Unesco.

The pilot phase of the programme will be evaluated by a Unesco working group as well as staff from the education ministry, in collaboration with pupils, parents and teachers.

The ministry said the programme “aligns with the EU’s priority to ensure quality and inclusive education for all, in particular with its renewed vision for the ‘European Educational Area’.”

The European Educational Area is an initiative which, according to the European Commission “helps EU member states work together to build more resilient and inclusive education and training systems”.

Among its stated aims are that by 2030, less than 15 per cent of 15-year-olds should be “low achievers in reading, mathematics, and science”, and the same proportion should be “low achievers in computer and information literacy”, with less than nine per cent leaving education and training early.

The European Commission had last year extolled the virtues of all-day schooling when it was rolled out at certain primary schools, saying, “the benefits of such reform for pupils, parents and teachers are many. All-day schooling keeps children safe, having a positive impact on their wellbeing and better preparing them for lifelong learning.”

“All-day schooling also fosters women’s access to the labour market by reducing parental responsibility of after-school care,” the commission added.