Every child in every part of Cyprus is entitled to high-quality public education and care, Education, Sport and Youth Minister Athena Michaelidou said on Saturday evening at an event marking 100 years since the founding of the historic school in Kalo Chorio, Limassol. Michaelidou described the centenary as an important chapter in both local history and the history of education in Cyprus, saying the school represents a century of service to learning and culture in the Cypriot countryside. It embodies, she said, the vision of its founder, the priest Papa Pantelis Michael, and the other pioneers who established it through personal sacrifice. With Heraklis Pantelidis from Agros as its first teacher, followed by other educators, the school helped promote Greek education, and the generations of villagers who passed through its classrooms, which served as a primary school until 1983, went on to distinguish themselves as scientists, professionals, family members and active citizens.
A school for the whole region
Today the historic building houses a regional kindergarten, while the Kalo Chorio Limassol Regional Primary School, the first regional primary school in Cyprus, also serves children from Louvaras, Zoopigi, Agios Pavlos and Agios Konstantinos. Michaelidou said cooperation between the communities connects historical memory with a modern role for the school. Supporting rural areas and their schools is a central pillar of government policy, she said, helping to counter urbanisation and keep communities sustainable. She added that the government is working to modernise public schools as a whole, investing in digital transformation, upgraded curricula, continuous teacher training and safe, inclusive and green school units, with the aim of an education system that fosters critical thinking and creativity without losing touch with the country's roots, traditions and identity. The schools in Kalo Chorio, she said, are a shining example of this, combining their historical importance with a modern educational mission.
The minister praised the work of the schools' administration and staff and their cooperation with other organisations, making special mention of the Kalo Chorio Limassol Association of Expatriates and Friends, which inspired and organised the event. She thanked the association, the community council, teachers, parents and volunteers who contributed to the celebration. Concluding, Michaelidou said the anniversary affirmed people's determination to progress and reflected the government's commitment to providing an education worthy of Cyprus' history and ready to meet the challenges of the future. She expressed confidence that, with the support of the state and local residents, the schools of Kalo Chorio would continue to serve as centres of values, progress and hope for generations to come.
Source: CNA
