Alternative School for At-Risk Teens Opens in Cyprus

A pilot program for an Alternative School aimed at supporting at-risk teenagers has been launched in Cyprus. The school, designed for adolescents prone to delinquency, currently has just four students.

Pavlos Milonas, Chairman of the Education Committee, announced the initiative during an interview on Alpha Kalimera. The program is being implemented at the Environmental Information Center of Athalassa National Forest Park and currently serves three foreign students and one Greek Cypriot.

According to the Ministry of Education, the program is part of a broader strategy to prevent and address juvenile delinquency. It is designed for teenagers aged 12 to 18 and follows an individualized approach tailored to each student’s needs. Course selection is determined by a project team in collaboration with the students’ guardians, and a pre-vocational training component is being gradually introduced.

This isn’t the first attempt to establish such a program. A previous effort was made in October 2024 at Pan-Cyprian High School, but it was suspended following public backlash.