Schools across Cyprus continue to operate normally, though in a few specific cases stricter safety measures have been implemented due to developments in the Middle East war. The kindergarten and primary school in the Akrotiri community remain closed, while parents at a private primary school in Larnaca were asked to keep their children at home.
The Education Ministry has sent a circular to all school units in the country, according to Ilias Markatzis, head of the ministry’s Safety and Health Department. The document addresses life-threatening situations without prior warning, outlining the exact actions students and teachers must follow.
In the event of an incident, the instructions are clear: those inside classrooms should take cover under furniture away from windows; those in the schoolyard should lie face down against walls, protecting their heads with their hands. Once the immediate danger passes, the protocol calls for relocation to basement or ground-floor areas, or a full evacuation along pre-determined escape routes.
In recent years, drills for such scenarios have been incorporated into school routines alongside existing earthquake exercises. Any decision to close schools will be made exclusively by Civil Defence, which will notify schools through the Ministry.
