A new primary school and kindergarten with a budget of €8 million is set to be constructed near Livadia, head of the technical services of the education ministry Andreas Marangos said on Tuesday.
“The facility is expected to be completed within four to five years and will serve the areas of Livadia and Oroklini,” Marangos told the Cyprus News Agency.
He also responded to Tuesday’s student boycott and protest organised by parents and guardians in Oroklini, voicing their concern over the construction of a new school in another community, saying that “abstention from classes is an anti-educational measure.”
“Today, students at the Oroklini Primary School missed their lessons for no reason. We need a new school in the area,” he said.
“It cannot be built right in Oroklini, since the community does not have a high school or gymnasium. We tried to satisfy everyone, but we could not find space to build a new school there,” Marangos said.
He also urged people who protested to “avoid viewing the issue exclusively from a local perspective.
“Nevertheless, a school must be built and, by June 2024, Larnaca, Oroklini, and Livadia will be a single municipality.
“The town planning department has defined the area where a new primary school and kindergarten should be erected, and it will be near Livadia,” he continued.
Responding to questions regarding the possibility of building two schools, one in the community of Oroklini and one in Livadia, Marangos argued that the construction of two schools is not justified because the number of students does not warrant it.
Marangos also mentioned that a letter has been sent to the department of town planning to determine the road network, and once the project proposal is approved, tenders will be announced for designers.
The new school will have a capacity to host around 450 pupils.