Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou said that 95% of final year high school students returned to schools on Monday, following the decision to lift measures imposed mid March. Elementary and Gymnasium students are set to go back on May 21st.

Prodromou visited Apostolos Markos Lyceum in Nicosia and in statements to press said that everything went smoothly and a total of 7,775 students returned to schools, 5,600 of whom are attending Lyceums, 1,300 Technical Schools and the rest private secondary schools.

He said that 5% of the students who didn’t attend today most probably belong to vulnerable groups and they continue remote education from home. The Minister said that all measures for social distancing and hygiene are followed and that every classroom has 12 students. He thanked all the teachers for their efforts during the lockdown and distance education they provided to students adding that today all students and their teachers are here and this is important to note.

Prodromou said that COVID-19 tests will be given to students in the following days on a sample basis for all schools in Cyprus. He explained that these tests will be done periodically until the end of the school year.
He also said that the temperature of the students will be checked not every day but on a sample basis, as the protocol requires.

The Minister noted that apart from the protocol, we need to spread awareness for each student’s responsibility and their behavior at schools. In his statements the Minister also said that the schedule for the final year exams will be announced in the coming days.  He added that the Ministry will deal with any issue that might arise.