Air conditioning in schools is causing a growing controversy. Teachers are demanding control.

Air conditioning in schools was supposed to provide relief for students and teachers during the heatwave. Now, it's raising safety concerns. Following a report from the Inspection Service, which found, among other things, devices being operated without the required electrical certification, the teachers' organization OELMEK is demanding urgent inspections and the removal of these irregularities.

The Ministry of Education is defending the implementation of the program, while school officials in Nicosia consider some of the warnings exaggerated. At the same time, they are announcing the disconnection of air conditioners temporarily connected for exams. The dispute concerns not only delays but also responsibility for approving the devices for use.

Air conditioning in schools: what do teachers demand?

In a position paper published on September 30, OELMEK, an organization representing secondary school teachers, demanded that the installation be immediately checked by the relevant technical services.

Teachers expect the detected defects to be resolved and all required certifications to be obtained before the individual systems are launched. They also demand full information for schools and a specific, binding timeline for completion.

The greatest concerns are raised by the arrangements for makeshift electrical connections and the staggered operation of air conditioners to avoid overloading the system. According to the organization, the pressure to quickly cool rooms cannot justify bypassing safety procedures.

Four of the five schools had unfinished work

The current discussion is based on a report published on September 29. On September 24, auditors visited five schools that the ministry identified as having completed work. In four of them, basic tasks still remained to be completed.

Among other things, equipment was found that had been installed almost two years earlier but was still unplugged. In other cases, air conditioning was operating before the electrical installation inspection and certification were completed, as well as the final acceptance.

The inspection covered a small number of schools, so its results cannot be automatically applied to all schools. However, the nature of the irregularities detected led the Inspection Service to recommend an urgent inspection of the installations and disconnection of devices where the required procedures had not been completed.

Nicosia: Warnings exaggerated, but devices will be disconnected

The head of the Nicosia school administration, Nikos Megalemos, commented on the report. He told CNA that the safety warnings were "a bit exaggerated" because they had sparked fear among residents.

He confirmed, however, that temporary connections had been made in some rooms for the national exams. He explained that the number of devices activated was adapted to the exam needs and the electrical installation capacity.

These were not the final solutions. Following the comments of the controllers, these air conditioners are to be disconnected.

Megalemos also noted that the devices have already been installed in 96 schools in Nicosia. He emphasized the scale of the project and estimated that completing the entire program by the end of 2026 would be extremely difficult.

The Ministry defends the program and points to old installations

The Ministry of Education argues that installing thousands of devices in school buildings is much more complicated than purchasing and screwing an air conditioner to the wall.

Some facilities require electrical modernization. The ministry also emphasizes that work is ongoing, with progress changing as technical issues are resolved.

According to data presented by the ministry, air conditioning is fully operational in nearly 90 percent of high schools and approximately 75 percent of middle schools. The ministry believes that an assessment of the entire project should take into account its current scale, not just the initial plan and the results of inspections of several institutions.

The problem didn't start with the report

Already in early September, before classes began, the Minister of Education, Athina Michaelidou, assured that the devices would not be turned on without safety confirmation by specialists.

Meanwhile, teachers continued to report a lack of working air conditioning in many classrooms. While the discussion so far has focused primarily on heat and delays, the report shifted the focus to the question of whether all functioning systems had actually passed the required inspections.

Additionally, there's the program's completion date. The original plan included 209 schools, but the project was later expanded. According to the report, its full implementation is currently expected by the end of 2028. The Ministry emphasizes that the change in the project's scope is significant when comparing schedules.

However, OELMEK is awaiting answers regarding specific facilities: which installations are ready, where improvements are needed, and when students will be able to use the refrigerated classrooms. For parents, the most important thing is confirmation that the devices operating at their child's school have the required inspections and safety documentation.

Sources: OELMEK, Ministry of Education, Audit Service of the Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus Mail, Kathimerini, Reporter