Deviance, school bullying, student overcrowding, and the need for new primary schools are some of the issues facing primary schools in Larnaca, as highlighted by the Federation of Parent Associations of Primary Education in the city and province of Larnaca.
In a written statement, the Federation states that “its priorities, like those of any nationwide Parent Federation, focus on quality public education in a safe school environment. However, among the priorities is also addressing problems faced by the primary schools in the city and province of Larnaca.”
Among these are “issues related to deviance, school bullying, special education concerns, educational regions, and the perennial problem of all schools in Cyprus, which is student overcrowding in classrooms. Specifically, in Larnaca, the problems are concentrated on overcrowding, as due to the large number of students, classes related to other skills like computer science are being eliminated.”
Furthermore, “there are classes with 25 children in schools where the composition is not helpful, as many students are non-Greek speakers with immigrant backgrounds, resulting in children who speak Greek falling behind in lessons, and immigrant children struggling to adapt, delaying progress for both groups.”
Another significant problem, according to the statement, is “the all-day school, which is offered for free, but the children’s meals are the responsibility of the Parent Associations, who are required to find catering under specific outdated dietary specifications, while there is also an issue with funding meals for disadvantaged students, who are far more than those receiving assistance.”
It is also added that “the all-day school has a role to play, as it is there to help children with learning difficulties and those with immigrant backgrounds, as their families cannot help them with learning Greek. Many of the problems faced by the 53 Primary Schools in the city and province of Larnaca, which are members of the Federation, were raised last year in a meeting with the Minister of Education during her visit to the city of Zenon.”
It is noted that “among the problems faced by children in Primary Schools are the technical infrastructure and safety in the school space, due to the significant issue arising, especially before Easter, with vandalism, as well as the smooth transition of students from Primary to Secondary Education.”
Regarding the issue of overcrowding in schools, the Federation states that “there is an urgent need to create new Primary Schools in Livadia, Oroklini, and Aradippou. Furthermore, procedures for creating new schools should run faster as the population numbers in specific areas in the city and province of Larnaca are continuously increasing.”
Regarding the issue of deviance, the Federation “calls for the implementation of existing or announced measures, such as the installation of closed-circuit monitoring systems and guards. It is also requested that schools remain open during the afternoon, giving children the opportunity to engage in various activities, so that the buildings do not become targets.”
