Commission launches Technical Support Instrument to facilitate all-day schooling in Cyprus

Today, during a high-level event in Cyprus with UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth of Cyprus (MESY) the Commission has launched a technical support project to facilitate all-day schooling in Cyprus’ lower secondary education. The project will assess the state of play of lower secondary education and take stock of good practices. It will make recommendations to roll out all-day schooling in Cyprus and help implement them in selected schools.

According to the latest report of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) published in October 2020, Cyprus’ public education system has a  low level of student achievement/performance. On average, one in 10 pupils leaves school early in Cyprus, while the share among foreign-born youth rises to 3 in 10. Youth unemployment rate is high at 16.6%. To tackle these challenges and foster student engagement, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth of Cyprus (MESY) requested the Commission’s support to implement a reform that will pave the way to all-day schooling in lower secondary education across the island.

The benefits of such reform for pupils, parents and teachers are many. All-day schooling keeps children safe, having a positive impact on their wellbeing and better preparing them for lifelong learning. It also can reduce early school leaving and improve academic performance, including of students with migrant and refugee backgrounds. All-day schooling also fosters women’s access to the labour market by reducing parental responsibility of after-school care.

The project is aligned with the European Union’s priority to ensure quality and inclusive education for all as well as with the Council of the European Union’s Recommendation on Pathways to School Success.

The TSI is the Commission's main instrument to provide technical support to reforms in the EU, following requests by national authorities. It is part of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and of the Recovery Plan for Europe. It builds on the success of its predecessor, the Structural Reform Support Programme which, since 2017, has implemented together with the TSI more than 1,500 technical support projects in all Member States.

Further details on the project can be found here.