-
.
- Ελληνικά
"Although the plan for the installation of air conditioners is for three years, if conditions change, and allow it, our goal is to do it much faster", said the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Ms. Athena Michaelidou in response to questions from journalists today, on the sidelines of a conference organized by the Ministry of Education, in the hall of the PDOED.
Specifically, asked about how the Ministry is proceeding with the issue of air conditioners in classrooms, Ms. Michaelidou said that "for the first time there is a plan for the installation of air conditioners. We know that for many years the issue was not a priority, because it was decided, for many reasons, that air conditioners would not be installed in schools. This Government had understood from the very first moment the necessity of installing air conditioners in order to have better teaching and learning conditions, both for our teachers and especially for the children. Therefore, from the very first moment, we started working on this issue. The procedures were followed - since it is not simple to install air conditioning in our schools: we first need to carry out studies on the safety of the buildings, on the safety of the networks - and we are now in a position, a few months after taking this initiative, to start the installation. This is the plan, so that as soon as possible we can have the installation in the first schools.
Our plan is for three years. However, if conditions change, and circumstances allow, the goal is to do it much sooner. Because it goes without saying that we want air conditioners in schools as soon as possible."
Asked if this plan includes all schools, the Minister replied in the affirmative, adding that it excludes some schools in mountainous areas and the 25 schools that are undergoing energy upgrades to provide thermal comfort. These 25 schools, she said, "participate in a special programme (PEDIA), which is carried out with EU funds."
In response to a comment that the Pancyprian Examinations will be held normally, although schools will close at 10:45am, the Minister noted that "schools will not close, teachers will be there. At 10:45am the children will leave because the recommendations of the experts, namely the Ministry of Health, the Department of Labour Inspectorate and the Meteorological Service, say that the problem is from 11am to 5pm. Therefore, given that children are a vulnerable group and will have to leave, we gave parents the option of not bringing their children to school at all, and according to the data we already have, a large percentage of parents did not bring them. Let us say that this was specifically for today, the National Examinations are being held until 10:30-11am, children will then leave and there are also recommendations to schools to make the best possible use of classrooms so that the children attending the examinations are not affected too much."
Asked whether consideration would be given to the possibility, if the heatwave is prolonged, of schools opening late, the Minister said: "As we did on Wednesday - because two days before we have the data so we can safely make a decision, collectively with our partners - we are flexible for any scenario. We believe that the objective is first and foremost to protect the children and certainly the staff in our schools. And this problem will only be solved when the air conditioners are installed, something for which there will have to be coordination with many, many other agencies," she concluded.
IP
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
Source[/P]
