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Pre-school education is provided by Greek-language state schools and by
Greek-language and foreign-language private schools.
It is provided for children aged between three years and five years and eight
months. Attendance is compulsory for children aged between four years and eight
months and five years and eight months.
Attendance at a private nursery school costs from €120 to €343 per child
per month; the cost at the state schools is lower. There are also state and
private child care centres for children up to three years of age.
Primary education
Primary education is provided free of charge at state schools for children
aged between five years and eight months and 11 years and eight months. Age is
the only criterion for the admission of children to primary education. From the
2006-2007 school year proof of pre-school attendance (from four years and eight
months to five years and eight months) is a condition for enrolment in primary
schools. The school year is divided into three terms of three months, with
attendance on five days of the week. Primary education is also provided by
English-language, French-language and Russian-language private schools.
Lower secondary education
Lower secondary education is provided free for children aged between 11 years
and eight months and 15 years of age. Children are admitted to lower secondary
education on the criterion of age and subject to possession of a primary school
leaving certificate. The school year is divided into three terms of three
months, with attendance on five days of the week. Lower secondary education is
also provided by English-language and French-language private schools.
More than 30 private primary and secondary schools (Greek-language,
English-Language, French-language and Russian-language) operate with Ministry of
Education and Culture approval. The cost of attendance is between €4,286 and
€6,343 per year.
Upper secondary education
Upper secondary education is provided free of charge for children aged
between 15 and 18 years of age. At this level, too, the school year is divided
into three terms of three months, with five-day attendance. Pupils who wish to
be trained in a technical occupation can attend a technical school. There are
also private English-language and French-language upper secondary schools.
Children who do not speak Greek are given special lessons in the language to
make it easier for them to join state schools at which attendance is compulsory
and free.
State university
Cyprus has three state university institutions: the University of Cyprus, the
Technology University and the Open University. There is also a large number of
private tertiary-level colleges. The Ministry of Education and Culture has
approved twenty-one private tertiary schools and evaluates and certifies the
academic titles of those schools every two years. There are also state
tertiary-level schools such as the Higher Technical Institute, the Forestry
College and the Higher Hotel Institute.
- Specific information about the above matters can be obtained from the Ministry of Education and Culture
website or by telephoning +357 22 800 600 and asking to be connected to the
Ministry department you need.
Text last edited on: 12/2007
Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2008
Reproduction is authorised.
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