Famagusta district is leading in the rollout of air conditioning in schools, with 65 per cent of its primary schools already fully equipped, while Paphos and Nicosia remain significantly behind.

According to figures released by the education ministry on Friday, the rollout remains uneven across the country, particularly in primary schools.

In Paphos, just 16 per cent of primary schools have fully operational air conditioning, while 62 per cent are still awaiting installation.

In Nicosia, 24 per cent are fully operational and 30 per cent remain at the planning stage.

Limassol has reached 46 per cent of primary schools, followed by Larnaca at 39 per cent and Famagusta at 65 per cent.

The gap is smaller among older pupils, with most middle and high schools either already equipped or at the final stage of installation.

All high schools in Larnaca have working air conditioning, while 90 per cent of those in Limassol are operational.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said the government remained committed to installing air conditioning in every school but stressed that the work had to be completed safely.

The main obstacle in certain schools is their electrical infrastructure, as older systems cannot always cope with the additional power required by air conditioners, meaning electrical upgrades are needed before the units can be used.

Some schools also require substations to provide enough electricity for the new equipment.

Michaelidou said the education ministry was working with school boards as well as the electricity authority (EAC), to inspect schools and ensure that electrical installations and fire safety requirements were met.

The issue has been raised previously by electricians, who warned that some schools had inadequate wiring and overloaded electrical systems.

They said switching on air conditioners before the necessary upgrades were made could cause electrical switches to trip or lead to power failures.

The government has maintained that these technical problems are part of the work being addressed as the programme progresses and has continued to insist that all schools will eventually be equipped.

The rollout was accelerated after years of complaints about high temperatures in classrooms during the summer.

Earlier this year, the education ministry said preschools, high schools and almost all middle schools were expected to have air conditioning by the start of the new school year, with primary schools requiring the most remaining work.

Michaelidou has said the priority is to ensure that air conditioning systems are installed correctly and can operate safely, rather than simply installing units that schools’ electrical networks cannot support.