Education Ministry dismisses Cyprus textbook shortage claims as “exaggerated”

Local educationschoolsTop News Education Ministry dismisses Cyprus textbook shortage claims as “exaggerated” Ypourgeio Paideias Relevant News New Cyprus scheme lets families build extra homes up to 180 square metres 10 September 2026 Overnight pharmacies on Thursday, September 10 10 September 2026 Education Ministry dismisses Cyprus textbook shortage claims as “exaggerated” 10 September 2026 newsroom 10 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth has dismissed as “exaggerated” claims that public schools are starting the new academic year without enough textbooks, saying 97% of the roughly 700 titles used across the three levels of education have already been delivered to schools. Public statements and media reports had raised concerns about textbook shortages, but the Ministry said the picture being presented did not reflect the real scale of the problem. All procurement procedures for supplying textbooks for the 2026-27 school year were carried out on time and in line with public tender rules, the Ministry said. A small number of contractors missed their delivery deadlines, the Ministry said, blaming technical problems for the delays. It terminated some of those contracts and reassigned the printing work to new contractors. Some books could not be printed in time, given the volume of work involved. For those, the Ministry worked with the Government Printing Office to produce part of the material in booklet form. This kept teaching on track ahead of the regular textbooks’ arrival, and meant teachers did not have to photocopy material themselves each day. Schools are also using other, already-delivered publications alongside the affected textbooks for some subjects, the Ministry said, to keep teaching uninterrupted while those deliveries are delayed. The Ministry added that all textbooks used in Cyprus’s public schools are available digitally on its website, where teachers and students can access them directly. The Ministry also criticised education organisations. It said the stance of some of them in turning issues that are already being resolved, such as textbooks and air conditioning units, into crises “causes intense concern and worry.” At the same time, it said, some organisations openly raise complaints about the non-implementation of legislation on teacher evaluation, or about not taking part in significant initiatives related to, among other things, student safety and health. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News New Cyprus scheme lets families build extra homes up to 180 square metres Overnight pharmacies on Thursday, September 10 E-scooter injuries surge in Cyprus despite thousands of complaints Land developer Savvas Kakos wins right to challenge arrest warrant in court Police union demands law change over mental health patient handling Police union: patrol cars ‘covered in blood’ from mental health call-outs Cyprus extends 8.33-cent fuel duty cut to November 30 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.