Education Minister Athena Michaelidou has pledged that the special education bill will be submitted to Parliament by the end of September, after facing criticism before the House Education Committee over repeated announcements and delays.
At the same time, figures presented by the minister show growing support needs among children, while procedures to recruit additional school assistants and escorts are still under way.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides pointed out that this is the third year in which the bill has been announced, noting that it had also been included in commitments made by the President of the Republic.
Committee chairman Chrysanthos Savvides also called for the bill to be submitted immediately so that parliamentary scrutiny can begin.
Responding, Michaelidou said the legal drafting review had been completed last week. She said the bill would be brought before the Council of Ministers within approximately two weeks and subsequently submitted to Parliament before the end of September.
The minister described the proposed changes as a step towards a more inclusive school system, acknowledging that schools had not been as accommodating as they should have been towards children with disabilities.
She also referred to serious objections raised by a group of parents regarding the direction of the reform.
More children need support
Michaelidou linked the need for legislative changes to growing support requirements and increased resources for special education.
According to figures presented to the committee, the number of children in primary education receiving support from school assistants and escorts is expected to rise from 1,808 in the 2021-2022 school year to 2,900 in 2026-2027. Over the same period, the number of assistants and escorts is increasing from 813 to 1,615.
In secondary education, the number of children is rising from 586 to 830, while the number of assistants and escorts is increasing from 314 to 502.
Compared with the previous school year, a total of 290 additional assistants and escorts are planned, comprising 208 in primary education and 82 in secondary education.
Spending on special education has also increased, from €12.277 million in 2021 to €21.582 million in 2026. Expenditure of €27.384 million is projected for 2027, although next year’s budget remains subject to the required approvals.
Recruitment of school aides continues
The higher number of school aides does not mean that all recruitment procedures have been completed. MPs raised concerns during the meeting over whether all needs would be covered on time.
Michaelidou said approvals had been secured for the requests already submitted, albeit with delays. She added that any new requests must go through the prescribed procedures.
Director of Primary Education Marios Stylianides said that once the necessary funding had been arranged, the relevant information was forwarded to school boards so recruitment procedures could begin.
He expressed the expectation that the school aides would be in their positions by 14 September, when primary school pupils return to class.
