Primary school children in Parekklisia went on strike to demand better educational facilities, citing outdated infrastructure and a lack of funding for improvements in the state budget until 2026. The community is calling for modern schools to replace the inadequate conditions they currently face and warns of continued strikes if their demands are not met.
Why did primary school children in Parekklisia go on strike?
Primary school children in Parekklisia, supported by their parents, went on strike to demand better educational facilities. They highlighted the outdated infrastructure of their school, which dates back to the 1960s, and the lack of earmarked funds for improvements in the state budget until 2026. The community is calling for modern schools to replace the inadequate conditions they currently face.
On a day that seemed like any other, the primary school children of Parekklisia took a stand that could hardly go unnoticed. These young pupils, with the full support of their parents, engaged in a two-hour strike on Tuesday. They were united in their plea for better educational facilities.
A Community’s Plea for Quality Education
Parekklisia’s primary school children, parents and the school’s parents’ association banded together in a powerful demonstration of community action. The streets adjacent to the school were lined with determined families. They waved banners with slogans that cut to the heart of the matter: “We want classrooms and schools, the plutocracy will pay for this crisis,” and “Let the ministries use portacabins, we demand modern schools.”
Speaking Out for the Future
The voice of the community found its articulation through Stella Hadjispyrou, the chairwoman of the parents’ association. She addressed the gathered crowd, spotlighting the children’s plight by referring to them as “pupils of an inferior god.” Her speech laid bare the stark contrast between the region’s economic growth and the stagnation of educational infrastructure, particularly in the eastern part of Limassol.
A Glaring Oversight in Funding
Hadjispyrou highlighted a concerning issue: despite earlier assurances, there was an apparent absence of earmarked funds for the school in the 2023 state budget. Compounding the issue was her revelation that no additional funds were slated for the school through to 2026.
The Impact of Neglect
The school, home to about 200 pupils, has been relying on a single building erected in the 1960s. This aging structure is far from ideal, battling intense humidity that culminates in the children’s frequent illnesses. Space constraints have become so pressing that a portacabin had to be installed to accommodate the growing student body. As a result, rooms once dedicated to art, home economics, science, and music have been repurposed for everyday use.
A Call for Continued Action
With the determination of a community concerned for its youngest members, Hadjispyrou concluded with a potent warning—the possibility of continued pupil strikes after Christmas if their demands fall on deaf ears.
Children and education form the bedrock of any society’s future. The events in Parekklisia are not just local news; they resonate with the universal challenges of educational equity and access. Such instances remind us that progress in one area should not come at the expense of another, especially when the future generation’s well-being and potential are at stake.
Quick Recap
- Primary school children in Parekklisia went on strike to demand better educational facilities, citing outdated infrastructure and a lack of funding for improvements in the state budget until 2026.
- The community is calling for modern schools to replace the inadequate conditions they currently face and warns of continued strikes if their demands are not met.
- Parekklisia’s primary school children, parents, and the school’s parents’ association joined forces in a demonstration of community action.
- The chairwoman of the parents’ association highlighted the absence of earmarked funds for the school in the 2023 state budget and the lack of additional funds until 2026.
- The school, built in the 1960s, is facing issues such as intense humidity, limited space, and repurposed rooms due to an increasing student body.
