School Year Postponed in Northern Cyprus: Teachers Go on Strike

In Northern Cyprus, the new school year was scheduled to start on Monday, September 16, for primary, middle, and high schools. However, over the weekend, the government unexpectedly decided to delay the start of classes by one week, moving it to September 23. Teachers' unions have responded with protests.

The decision by the Council of Ministers to postpone the school year was published in the Official Gazette.

According to the document, classes were delayed because "the process of appointing teachers has not yet been completed."

The statement reads: "The Council of Ministers has decided that the new school year in all public schools under the Primary Education Directorate, the General Secondary Education Department, and the Vocational and Technical Education Department will begin on Monday, September 23."

This decision has sparked discontent among teachers. The Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Union (KTOEÖS) and the Turkish Cypriot Teachers' Union (KTÖS) are staging protests against the postponement.

Protests are planned for 9:20 AM in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Nicosia, at 10:00 AM in front of the Presidential and Parliamentary complex, and at 10:30 AM in front of the Ministry of Education.

In a press release, KTÖS General Secretary Burak Maviş criticized the government, citing a lack of planning as the root cause of the problems in the education system.

According to Maviş, this is the first time schools in the country have failed to open on schedule, and there is no objective reason for the delay, as "there is no state of emergency, war, or natural disaster in the country."

It’s important to note that on September 16, around 28,000 students were expected to begin classes in 128 public and private schools under the Primary Education Department. Additionally, around 30,000 students were set to attend 48 public and private schools under the General Secondary Education Department.