Nicosia, Cyprus. Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said prefabricated classrooms can be used to address school overcrowding and accommodate pupils while permanent buildings are upgraded or expanded.
She said the facilities remain necessary until new schools are built and improved infrastructure becomes available, with child safety remaining a priority.
Temporary classroom needs
Michaelidou cited areas with rapid population growth and schools receiving increasing numbers of pupils from migrant backgrounds as examples where additional classroom capacity is needed.
“Until new schools are built and upgraded facilities are available, we must have suitable prefabricated classrooms, always with the safety of children as our priority,” she said.
She added that there was nothing negative about using prefabricated classrooms in overcrowded schools, saying they support the implementation of education policies.
Audit Office findings
The Audit Office reported that temporary classrooms have often become a long-term response to overcrowding and identified weaknesses in planning, oversight and school infrastructure management.
Michaelidou welcomed the report and said the ministry had submitted its views, which were included in the report’s appendix. She said the report recognised the need for prefabricated classrooms while cautioning against their permanent use.
“All of the Audit Office’s recommendations are an important tool for improvement,” she said, describing cooperation between the ministry and the Audit Office as excellent and its reports as guidance for ministry policy.
Safety inspections
Addressing safety concerns, Michaelidou said the ministry’s technical services had issued a circular directing school boards to inspect every school under their responsibility.
The inspections cover all classrooms, rather than only prefabricated units, for potential safety issues.