A new report by the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsperson's Office) highlights the need to guarantee access to special education in private schools, after a Limassol school refused to implement reasonable accommodations for a pupil with a disability, ultimately terminating his enrolment mid‑year.
The case concerns a complaint filed in November 2025 by the mother of a primary school pupil. According to the findings, the school refused to provide a learning support assistant and declined to implement the decision of the District Committee for Special Education and Training, citing its internal regulations. As a result, the pupil was removed from the school on the grounds that he could not meet classroom demands or functionally integrate into the school environment.
Refusal and exclusion
The report notes that the refusal to provide support assistants for disabled children is a long‑standing problem in the private education sector. Often, necessary services are not provided at all, or the cost is shifted onto parents because the state covers such needs only in public schools.
In this case, the mother had repeatedly expressed her willingness to cover the cost of employing a support assistant herself and had asked the school to cooperate with the external specialists already supporting the child. Despite this, the school insisted on its position and showed no intention of seeking a compromise. The refusal to provide accommodations that would not impose any financial burden on the school “cannot be considered justified,” the report states.
The Commissioner also found that the school failed to follow its own regulations, which require cooperation with external special‑education teachers and speech therapists. “It appears that the school not only failed but explicitly refused to implement the regulations it set itself and which the Ministry of Education approved,” the report notes.
Responsibilities and recommendations
The Commissioner emphasises that private schools cannot bypass the obligation to provide reasonable accommodations by invoking internal rules. They must exhaust every possible measure to ensure that children with disabilities can access education on an equal basis with other pupils. The report highlights the serious consequences of removing a child from school mid‑year, noting the impact on a child’s stability and emotional wellbeing.
The Ministry of Education is awaiting legal advice from the Attorney General on whether private schools may legally exclude special‑education provisions through their regulations and whether legislative amendments are required.
The Commissioner recommends adopting measures, including new legislation, to ensure that reasonable accommodations and support assistants are provided in private schools without burdening parents. She also calls on schools to work with families “in a spirit of good faith” before making decisions that affect children’s attendance.
The report further notes that, according to UN committee recommendations, the right to inclusive education applies to both public and private schooling. States, therefore, must regulate private‑school operations to ensure equal access for all pupils.