Cyprus Government to Establish Technical Middle Schools by 2025
President Christodoulides Announces New Schools to Align Education with Workforce Needs
On Friday, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, announced the government's decision to establish Technical Middle Schools by 2025, modeled after the country's Athletic and Music Schools. This initiative reflects the need to connect education with the labor market.
The announcement was made during his visit to the Third Technical School of Archangelos, on the occasion of the new school year. He was accompanied by the Minister of Education, Sports, and Youth, Athina Michaelidou.
Speaking to the students and teachers of the Third Technical School, President Christodoulides stated that he specifically asked the Minister of Education to visit the school. "As a government with an exceptional Minister of Education, who is well-versed in all educational matters and truly passionate about education, we place significant emphasis on technical education," he said.
"If we aim for long-term, sustainable development, we must invest in technical education," he noted, adding that, "as a state, we have two sectors where we are responsible to all citizens—education and healthcare."
He emphasized that "we have a duty to provide equal opportunities to all our citizens." Therefore, he explained, "we are investing more in education and healthcare than in any other sectors."
According to President Christodoulides, this is why "we have embarked on bold reforms in education. We have a comprehensive reform program that we will see through to the end. Over the past year, we implemented changes in student assessments, curricula, and the equipment in schools."
He further mentioned that the government will proceed with the evaluation of teachers, a long-standing issue, as well as the upgrading of school infrastructure. He also vowed to address the issue of air conditioning in schools, which has been unresolved for decades, stating, "We will solve this during our administration."
Regarding technical education specifically, the President said, "If we truly want to achieve progress and development in this country, and for the state to function properly and society to prosper, we must invest in technical education." He added, "To be proud that we are meeting the needs of our citizens, we must prioritize technical education."
"For this reason, I want to announce today our decision to establish Technical Middle Schools by 2025, modeled after the athletic and music schools," he emphasized.
He stated that "from 2025, Technical Middle Schools will operate as a testament to the importance we place on technical education and the need to connect education with the labor market."
President Christodoulides also mentioned that "at the moment, we are building two new Technical Schools—one in Limassol and one in Larnaca—and we will soon announce another in the outskirts of Nicosia."