New air conditioning units installed in schools months ago cannot be switched on yet due to insufficient electricity and teachers’ union Oelmek hopes that May and June – the final months of the school year and exam period – will not bring their usual heatwaves.

Oelmek leader Demetris Taliadoros said the government promised air conditioning for 50 schools and today, the last day of January, there are schools without working units.

Taliadoros said that for months now the union has been calling on the government to prepare a schedule for the units to be installed.

“I understand that it will not be provided.”

Taliadoros said many services were involved in installing the air conditioning units, including the school boards, the electricity authority and the education ministry which was funding the project.

“It would be better if a schedule was given, based on the state’s available funds, so that everyone involved, those who have a job to do in installing the air conditioning, can plan their work,” he said.

If this is a difficult task, “then I don’t know how they will manage to complete the project,” he added.

“At least, they should not say we are going on to the second phase, when they haven’t completed the first one,” Taliadoros said.

He said May and June are not far away.

“Let’s hope that we will not have the temperatures of 2024 with about 45C,” he added.

Taliadoros also referred to the teacher evaluation plan, saying that on February 7 the union would be receiving the proposal on the new assessment method.

He said Oelmek would be examining the proposal and expressed hope that proper dialogue would ensue.