New school need to be built as the current ones are overcrowded outdated and lack necessary equipment the House education committee said after paying a visit to two schools and a kindergarten in Paralimni and Liopetri on Friday. 

 “The local community is calling for the construction of new schools, (…) while there is also the need for upgraded infrastructure in the existing buildings,” House education committee chairman and Diko MP Pavlos Mylonas. 

During the visit, Mylonas and other committee members visited a primary school in Liopetri and a high school and a kindergarten in Paralimni.

Regarding the primary school in Liopetri, Mylonas said that, given the school’s age, some problems had occurred, particularly with regard to the sports facilities. However, he emphasised that efforts were underway to resolve these issues. 

At Paralimni high school, which the committee chairman said had been renovated and funded with “millions of euros,” there was still a need for six temporary classrooms to prevent the disruption caused by students who shift between classes. Additionally, he said that the school continued to face problems related to maintenance and overcrowding. 

The kindergarten in Paralimni, Mylonas said, was a special case.

“There are 200 children, which is a huge number, 30 teachers and a director, but no secretarial staff,” he said. 

He added that the building dated back to 1980 and currently belonged to both the municipality of Paralimni and the education ministry, both holding fifty per cent. The maintenance problems faced by the kindergarten were partly due to two authorities being involved in its management, Mylonas added.

Concluding his statement, Mylonas reiterated the need for the construction of new school facilities to combat overcrowding and the upgrading of existing educational infrastructure.