Nicosia, Cyprus. Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said school safety remains a “non-negotiable priority” after the Audit Office identified fire safety and health shortcomings in public schools.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Michaelidou said the issues, including gaps in fire safety certification, were already known to the ministry and had been addressed through work over the past three years.
Audit findings
Of the 25 schools examined in the audit, 11 had valid electrical installation inspection reports, while none held a valid fire safety certificate.
The Audit Office also found that the ministry did not maintain a centralised register of fire safety certificates, making it “impossible to identify schools at increased risk in a timely manner”.
Ministry response
Michaelidou said the safety and health of children, teachers and staff were a constant priority. She described the findings as the result of administrative shortcomings that had accumulated over previous decades.
She said the government had invested “tens of millions of euros” to address the problems and was strengthening inspections and monitoring mechanisms while introducing clearer timetables to improve compliance across the education system.
Infrastructure programme
According to Michaelidou, the government inherited a system with problems, shortcomings and mainly incomplete procedures. She said it was pursuing a comprehensive approach based on prevention, intervention and oversight rather than isolated improvements at individual schools.
She said one of the country’s largest school infrastructure upgrade programmes had been implemented over the past three years, including new buildings, extensions, renovations and maintenance works incorporating fire safety measures and electrical upgrades.
