The government should place genuine focus on education, House education committee chairman Pavlos Mylonas said on Friday during his visit at two schools in Limassol.
MPs visited the new building of the Apostolos Loukas special school where they attended a meeting with the administration, representatives of the education ministry, the parents’ association, and the contractor of the project, followed by a tour of the new facilities. On the same day, they also visited Neapolis gymnasium.
The visit, which coincided with the day celebrating Apostle Luke, came as the committee assesses the pressing needs of schools within the region.
“The state is finally progressing and not remaining in temporary (buildings),” Mylonas said, describing the new building as resembling a “small palace”.
Although efforts are on a good track, “there are still many things to be done internally” he stressed.
Mylonas reiterated that the education committee has consistently called for the government to prioritise genuine educational reform over superficial measures.
In the coming week, the school is set to receive a multipurpose hall and swimming facilities, but the completion of the external playground is still pending. Mylonas confirmed that the necessary equipment is currently being used indoors, highlighting the need for a dedicated outdoor space for students.
To address these issues, the chairman assured that the Education Committee would exert pressure on the technical services, the ministry of education, and the ministry of finance to secure essential resources “so that no one hides behind the issue of a lack of funding.”
Mylonas further underscored the importance of ensuring that special schools receive the same attention and resources as other educational institutions, stating, “it would be a disgrace for us if anything is lacking in this special school.”
“Parents carry their burdens; it is our obligation, if we want to say we are a people with sensitivities – which we are – to ensure that nothing is missing from this school,” he added.
He also raised concerns regarding the transportation of students, particularly the need to replace a bus that has accumulated over one million kilometres. He questioned the rationale behind spending €350,000 on transportation services when the funds could be used to purchase a new bus.
Furthermore, Mylonas referred to the parents’ association request for the school to transition into a mandatory all-day institution, arguing that parents should not have to seek private sector services for occupational therapy, physiotherapy and other essential services that could be provided by the state.
For his part, the Director of the Apostolos Loukas special school Anthias Paschalis, thanked the House education committee for their interest, adding that the new building has been a dream for many years and is now a reality.
“There are some details that need to be completed, but we are focused on the big picture,” he said, noting that “within the upcoming week, the contractor is expected to hand over the swimming pools and the multipurpose hall.”
When asked about the new building, he said, “As with any new building, there are some functions that need to be repaired, and we are in communication with the Technical Services and the contractor,” indicating that there is a responsibility for the maintenance of the project for a period of one year.
Regarding the visit to the Neapolis Gymnasium, Mylonas said the purpose was to examine the problems faced by a school with a significant migrant demographic. “They have many problems that we know in advance,” he said, adding that these mainly concern the lack of logistical infrastructure.
