It is now November, the school year is well into its third month, and 1,227 children are still awaiting either assessment or a decision regarding special educational or other support.
Behind that figure are pupils whose needs have been referred to the relevant District Committees for Special Education but whose cases have yet to be completed.
Schools have been operating for almost two months and classes are continuing as normal, yet for more than a thousand children the issue of formal assessment and support remains unresolved.
The figures were provided by Education Minister Athina Michaelidou in response to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Dimitris Baros.
The data relate to the 2026-2027 school year and cover cases where assessment and/or a decision is still pending.
Compared with the approximately 113,000 pupils attending public pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, the 1,227 pending cases equate to roughly one in every 92 students.
Where the backlog is concentrated
The highest number of pending cases is recorded in Limassol, where procedures remain outstanding for 430 students.
The figures for other districts are:
- Nicosia: 384
- Larnaca and Famagusta: 252
- Paphos: 161
Together, Limassol and Nicosia account for 814 of the 1,227 pending cases.
The figures show where the largest number of cases is concentrated, though they do not indicate which district faces the greatest proportional challenge, as student population data by district were not provided.
The ministry's figures also reveal significant waiting times.
In both Limassol and Nicosia, an average of three months is required from the date a child is referred until a decision is implemented.
The average waits are:
- Three months in Limassol and Nicosia
- Two months in Larnaca and Famagusta
- One and a half months in Paphos
As a result, a referral submitted at the start of the school year could, based on the average three-month timeframe, take until December before a decision is implemented.
All of this takes place while normal school life continues.
The timing is significant because the figures do not come from a pre-school-year assessment but from an official response provided after the academic year had already begun.
This does not necessarily mean all 1,227 cases have been pending since September. It does mean, however, that a substantial number of procedures relating to children's educational support remain unresolved well into November.
The ministry notes that waiting times vary from case to case and depend heavily on the completion of required assessments and the timely submission of reports to the committees.
As a result, some cases may be resolved more quickly while others require additional time.
The ministerial response does not indicate how many of the 1,227 cases have already exceeded the average timeframes cited.
What the children are waiting for
The 1,227 cases are not all at the same stage of the process.
The official wording refers to children for whom assessment and/or a decision regarding special educational or other support remains pending.
Some cases are still in the stage of gathering the necessary evaluations and reports, while others are awaiting a committee decision.
These reports are essential for determining individual needs and identifying the type of support required.
The ministry's response does not provide a numerical breakdown of these categories, nor does it clarify how many of the children are already receiving some form of support.
That is the central issue behind the delay.
What remains pending is not simply an administrative procedure but the completion of the process required to identify a child's needs and implement decisions relating to educational support.
The ministry notes that urgent cases are prioritised and decisions are taken much more quickly.
Examples include requests for school assistants or escorts where serious safety or self-care concerns exist, as well as applications for alternative education programmes.
School assistants and the ministry's position
The same response provides details on staffing levels.
In primary and pre-primary education:
- 1,645 special education teachers of various specialisations are employed.
- 1,501 school assistants and escorts support 3,191 children.
In secondary education:
- 452 assistants and escorts are employed.
- 394 work in general secondary education.
- 58 work in technical education.
- They support a total of 841 students.
Overall, 1,953 school assistants and escorts provide support to 4,032 children.
Despite the pending cases, the ministry says there are currently no shortages of school assistants or escorts in primary and secondary education based on identified needs and existing committee decisions.
That distinction is important, as needs that have not yet been formally assessed or approved are not necessarily reflected in staffing plans.
The minister also stressed that staffing decisions do not end in September but continue throughout the school year as committees meet and new decisions are made.
Meanwhile, November has already arrived, and 1,227 pending cases remain on the books.
