Education ministry says school air conditioner safety will not be compromised

Nicosia, Cyprus. Safety is “non-negotiable” in the installation of air conditioners in public schools, the education ministry said on Tuesday in response to an Audit Office report. It said technical and safety requirements would not be compromised to accelerate the project or “create impressions”.

Scope of the project

The ministry said it welcomed every audit and would use the report in its continuing evaluation and improvement of the project. It noted, however, that a significant part of the report concerned the initial planning in 2023 and 2024, particularly the design of three installation phases.

That plan changed in 2024 when the programme was extended to all public schools across Cyprus, except those in mountainous areas, where circumstances and needs differ. The ministry said references and graphics based on the original phases did not reflect the project’s current scope or progress. More detailed information and the ministry’s positions are included in an appendix to the report, it added.

Progress and technical work

The ministry said the current government had turned a longstanding pending issue into a funded project with a universal target, planning and implementation across Cyprus. According to its latest available data, air conditioners are fully operational in almost 90 per cent of lyceums and almost 75 per cent of gymnasiums. Work continues at other levels of education and in school units across the country.

Problems arising during implementation are being monitored and addressed, the ministry said. It has issued instructions to the school boards responsible for carrying out the project.

The ministry said data from a limited number of schools could not provide a complete picture while work was ongoing and conditions varied by school. Some facilities require electrical upgrades, network reinforcement or other technical work, particularly where problems have accumulated over several years.