Long weekend for primary schools

STATE primary and kindergarten teachers were yesterday given a long-weekend break by the government.

An announcement by the Education Ministry declared October 2 a holiday in order for graduates to go to Greece to pick up their degrees.

October 1 is also a public holiday, which conveniently gives teachers a four-day weekend break.

The Ministry said schools in Nicosia and Paphos districts would be closed on October 2, a working day for the remainder of the population. Larnaca and Famagusta districts will not be affected. Schools in Limassol will be closed the following Friday, October 9.

“We call on parents to leave their children at home or to make other arrangements,” the announcement said.

The Ministry said the date for the degree ceremonies could not be changed, though it had tried to arrange another date with the Greek universities.

Officials at the Ministry were not available to clarify how many teachers of the hundreds of primary school teachers on the island were due to receive degrees, nor who would fund the trip.

A secretary at the Ministry said the Director of Primary Education was “too busy” to comment.

The announcement said that the schools would be open on May 20 next year, Ascension Thursday, which is normally a school holiday.

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