The government aims for all public schools to be equipped with air conditioning within a few months, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou insisted on Thursday.

Speaking after visiting the 19th Primary School of Limassol, Michaelidou thanked the private enterprise, XM for donating new units.

She added that the ministry welcomes such initiatives, stating that public and private collaboration is being used to accelerate implementation.

According to the school administration, 24 air conditioning units have been installed, fully covering classrooms and facilities.

The school’s director, Christofis Christofis, said the development reflected both government policy and private sector involvement in education infrastructure, remarking that companies “have realised that investing in education is a stock market in which whoever invests always wins”.

The rollout of air conditioning in schools serves towards the government wider programme aimed at addressing a deficiency of units in classrooms.

However, implementation has been accompanied by technical concerns raised by electrical contractors, who have warned about infrastructure capacity and grid limitations.

Industry representatives have previously stated that electrical loads in some schools may not be sufficient to support widespread use of air conditioning systems simultaneously, with potential risks of overloads and outages if upgrades are not completed.

The education ministry has maintained that installation work is progressing in coordination with the electricity authority (EAC), and that most schools are expected to be completed within the planned timeframe.

It also confirmed that examinations this summer will take place in air-conditioned classrooms where systems are already operational.