By Christina Stavrinou and Andria Georgiou
Two-and-a-half months without school, but not without work for parents.
And for those with children in primary and pre-primary education, the countdown has still not ended. From today, there are another eight weekdays until the first school bell rings on 14 September. Eight days during which working parents must find someone to look after their children.
Summer, however, is only the largest part of an equation that repeats itself throughout the year.
Summer holidays, Christmas and Easter amount to a total of 83 weekdays when schools are closed. By comparison, the average number of paid annual leave days in Cyprus is estimated at 21 days, while the minimum legal entitlement for an employee working a five-day week is 20 days.
Even if public holidays that fall during school breaks are deducted from those 83 days, the gap remains enormous.
Every year the same search begins again, with the available solutions gradually running out.
Grandparents for those fortunate enough to have that option. Summer schools for a few weeks and a limited number of children. Private alternatives that come at a cost. Childcare structures that quickly fill up.
This year's delay in the start of lessons for primary school pupils has reignited a debate that in many cases has developed into a confrontation between parents and teachers. Once again, attention has focused on teachers' holidays and whether schools should reopen earlier.
Yet somewhere in the argument, the real issue is lost. The question is not why schools are closed, but what parents are meant to do while they are.
Children home alone
For some families, the available options have already been exhausted.
In social media posts and parent groups, working parents describe being forced, for several days or even hours, to leave children aged nine, ten or twelve home alone. In other households, even 14-year-olds are taking on the role of babysitter for younger siblings.
These are largely anonymous posts and comments, but they do not represent isolated cases. Rather, they are the tip of the iceberg.
At a time when the state is searching for ways to address declining birth rates and declares support for families a priority, the question is how comprehensive a family policy can be when it invests millions in allowances and benefits while leaving working parents to figure out, every time schools close, who will care for their children.
The 63-day gap
In a year of 365 days, there are 261 weekdays from Monday to Friday.
Of those, approximately 249 days remain after deducting public holidays that fall on weekdays in 2026.
On the other side of the equation, the three major periods during which primary schools are closed account for 83 weekdays:
- 62 days during the summer holidays, from 18 June to 11 September 2026.
- 10 days during the Easter holidays, from 6 to 17 April.
- 11 days during the Christmas holidays, from 23 December to 6 January.
Those 83 weekdays amount to almost one quarter of the year.
In other words, one in every four days of the year falls within one of the three major school holiday periods.
Annual leave lies on the other side of the equation.
The law provides for at least 20 working days for employees working a five-day week and 24 days for those working a six-day week. More days may be granted through contracts, collective agreements or more favourable arrangements, but there is no general legal maximum applicable to all employees.
Why lessons start on 14 September
The mid-September start date is not a decision taken by teachers but results from existing regulations.
As POED president Myria Vassiliou explained, teachers in primary and pre-primary education return on the first Monday of September, which this year falls on 7 September, while pupils return the following Monday, 14 September.
Organised parent groups point out that schools may open later this year, but they will also close later in June in order to complete the required teaching hours.
For parents, however, the real issue is the financial ability of families to secure childcare during school holidays.
Calling in the grandparents
For many families, the first solution is not found in an organised structure but within the family itself.
Grandparents assume a major share of childcare during the summer months, while relatives and trusted family friends are also called upon.
It is the most immediate solution and costs nothing.
For those who do not have that option, the search for alternatives begins.
Just 25 days in 64 schools
The most financially viable organised solution is the public summer school programme.
The problem lies both in the number of available places and the duration of operation.
This year, public summer primary schools and kindergartens operated for only 25 working days, from 22 June to 24 July, across 64 school units nationwide, consisting of 39 primary schools and 25 kindergartens.
That leaves almost the entire period until the new school year begins uncovered.
Even for families that secure a place, the state solution ends on 24 July.
The first school bell, however, will not ring until nearly seven weeks later.
Summer schools in August?
That gap is now fuelling discussion about extending summer schools into August.
Speaking to Politis, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou left open the possibility of examining additional weeks of operation, provided a relevant request is submitted by organised parent groups.
The minister said summer schools have already expanded and will increase further next year, acknowledging that the current system cannot accommodate a large proportion of pupils.
At the same time, the ministry is cooperating with local organisations and clubs operating until 6pm, providing additional options for families unable to secure places.
In light of the debate, Michaelidou intends to invite organised primary education parents' groups and POED to hear their proposals.
She stressed, however, that any changes must be supported by studies and scientific evidence, noting that it is not recommended for children to spend twelve months a year in the same school environment.
Yes, but in what kind of schools?
POED is positive about both increasing the number of summer schools and extending their operation, provided any changes are targeted and properly planned.
Vassiliou raised a highly practical issue: air conditioning.
She told Politis that even in July there was a summer school where children were gathered into a single classroom because the others lacked air conditioning.
Running schools during August, she said, requires suitable infrastructure.
POED also shares concerns about children spending prolonged periods in the same school environment.
According to Vassiliou, the debate should not focus solely on when schools open and close or whether teachers are "off" for two or three months. Instead, it should address broader issues including support for families, children's wellbeing and quality time between parents and children.
Private summer schools
For families unable to secure places in public summer schools and without relatives to help with childcare, the next option is private summer schools.
That option, however, requires financial resources.
A Politis market survey conducted in mid-June found summer schools charging more than €300, and in some cases more than €500 per month.
Very few accepted children under the age of four or operated during August.
As a result, even families capable of meeting the cost cannot necessarily secure coverage for the entire summer.
Authorities acknowledge the gap but...
Part of the gap is being addressed through social care structures.
In comments to Politis, newly appointed Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou identified work-life balance as one of the ministry's priorities.
The ministry subsidises nurseries and Child Protection and Activity Centres (KPAP).
Priority is given to facilities operating throughout August or part of the month, as well as those operating on Saturdays.
Pavlou nevertheless acknowledged the pressure faced during August, noting that centres remaining open fill up more quickly and securing a place becomes more difficult.
In 2025, 58 nurseries received €1.72 million in subsidies, while approximately €1 million was channelled to 55 school-age KPAP centres.
These generally operate after school hours but can adapt their schedules during summer, particularly in July, and function in the mornings.
The ministry's intention is to increase the number of structures available during August.
The Ministry of Labour also recognises that current options are insufficient.
Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas acknowledged yesterday that the problem created when parents are at work and children are out of school concerns the government, which is searching for a "more practical policy".
According to him, proposals include the creation of childcare facilities where children could remain until lessons resume.
At the same time, ways are being explored to make parental leave more practical, with the minister noting a significant increase in applications.
Is this how declining birth rates will be tackled?
The admission is significant.
On one hand, the government now recognises that existing options do not meet families' needs and is searching for alternatives.
On the other, no concrete plan yet exists, despite repeated statements by President Nikos Christodoulides that supporting families is a central objective in efforts to address declining birth rates.
For years Cyprus has searched for ways to reverse demographic decline and convince young couples that they can start families.
So far, however, beyond announcements, promises and expanded allowance schemes, there has been little that addresses the practical daily difficulties faced by families.
The issue of childcare during school holidays may be one of the clearest examples.
This is not an unexpected problem that arose because schools open on 14 September.
School holidays are known in advance and recur every year, just as it is known that working parents' annual leave is insufficient to cover them.
This year's debate may become an opportunity for change.
For now, however, what exists are intentions and promises: more summer schools, possible operation in August, more childcare facilities and a "more practical policy" that the Ministry of Labour says it will seek.
Parental leave a fragile lifeline with more than 21,000 claims
Parental leave is one of the tools currently available to working parents who need time away from work to care for their children.
Yet, as Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas acknowledged yesterday, the government is looking for ways to make it "more usable for parents", while also recognising that applications have risen significantly.
Figures recently submitted to parliament in response to a question from AKEL MP Giorgos Koukoumas illustrate the trend.
Of the 21,417 monthly parental leave registrations recorded during 2025, 8,316 occurred during June, July and August.
In other words, almost four in every ten registrations for the entire year occurred during the summer.
The sharpest increase occurred in June, with 4,137 registrations, more than double the 1,619 recorded in May.
Registrations reached 2,485 in July and 1,694 in August.
While these figures do not prove that all leave was taken because schools were closed, they reveal a clear summer peak during a period when childcare needs increase significantly.
Parental leave is available to any working parent who has completed six months of continuous employment with the same employer and may be used until a child reaches the age of 15.
It can total 18 weeks per child.
However, it cannot be used without limit within a single year, as a maximum of five weeks per child per calendar year applies.
It may be taken consecutively, in parts or even on a day-by-day basis, providing some flexibility.
The timing of leave is not entirely at the employee's discretion.
An employer cannot deny the right to parental leave but may postpone it for up to two months for reasons connected with business operations.
There is also a distinction between parental leave and the benefit that may accompany it.
Payment depends on social insurance conditions and does not mean that each day of parental leave is fully compensated at the employee's normal rate of income.
That is precisely where the discussion returns to the practical problem.
Parental leave may cover part of the gap, but it cannot by itself solve the challenge posed by weeks of school holidays.
The Ministry of Labour's acknowledgement that the system needs to become more workable demonstrates that the state itself recognises the current tool requires improvement
