**Title: Cyprus Allocates Significant Funds to Education, Yet Student Performance Declines**
Cyprus has made substantial investments in its education system, dedicating a larger portion of its public budget to education than most EU countries. However, recent data reveals that student performance continues to lag, with Cypriot pupils achieving some of the lowest scores in Europe.
According to a report released by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday, education accounted for 13.2% of Cyprus' total public expenditure in 2024. This figure starkly contrasts with the EU average of 9.7%. In monetary terms, Cyprus spent approximately €1.8 billion on education, which represents 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Notably, the share of public expenditure allocated to education has increased by 2.5 percentage points from 2014 to 2024, marking the highest growth rate among EU member states during this period.
A significant portion of this educational funding is directed towards teacher salaries. Cyprus ranks second in the EU for the share of education expenditure spent on staff pay, following Belgium. Teachers in Cyprus enjoy competitive salaries that increase substantially with experience. For the 2023/24 school year, the starting salary for teachers is set at €26,600, which can rise to €50,576 after 15 years of service. Those at the top of the salary scale can earn as much as €66,323, reflecting a potential salary increase of up to 149% over a teacher's career.
Despite these financial commitments, the performance of Cypriot students presents a troubling contrast. In the OECD's latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results for 2022, 15-year-old students in Cyprus scored an average of 418 points in mathematics, 381 points in reading, and 411 points in science. These scores fall significantly below the EU averages of approximately 472 in mathematics, 468 in reading, and 480 in science, indicating a deficit of over 50 points in each subject area. Furthermore, these results illustrate a notable decline from previous assessments, with mathematics scores dropping by 32 points, reading by 43 points, and science by 28 points.
While the data highlights a concerning trend in student performance, it does not necessarily implicate teacher salaries as the primary cause. The European Commission has emphasized that teacher pay is just one of many factors influencing teacher recruitment and retention. Other critical elements include working conditions, professional support, curriculum design, and the distribution of resources among schools.
In light of these challenges, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou announced that the upcoming school year, which begins next week, will introduce several reforms aimed at enhancing the education system. These changes will focus on teacher evaluation and recruitment processes, improvements in special education, and the adoption of new teaching models that emphasize skills development and the integration of technology into the classroom.
The government’s commitment to reforming the education sector comes at a crucial time, as stakeholders seek to address the declining performance of students and ensure that investments in education translate into improved outcomes. As Cyprus continues to allocate significant resources towards education, the effectiveness of these investments will be closely monitored, with hopes that future assessments will reflect positive changes in student achievement.