Population shift away from city centres drives school development

The new technical school in Polemidia, set to replace Limassol’s first technical school and nearly double its capacity to 700 students, is expected to be completed by December 2026, according to director of secondary technical and vocational education and training Elias Markatzis.

Speaking to Entrepreneurial Limassol, a publication by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evel), Markatzis said the education ministry would assess whether the transfer could take place smoothly during the 2026-2027 school year.

However, he added that if any disruption to lessons or inconvenience for pupils is expected, the new school will begin operating in September 2027 instead.

The total cost of the new technical school, together with a branch of the Pedagogical Institute to be housed on the same site, amounts to €27.7 million.

The complex will include fully equipped laboratories for mechanical engineering, services, industrial design and applied arts.

It will also allow for the introduction of new specialisations such as renewable energy sources, digital technology and programming, hospitality management, jewellery design and manufacturing, and clothing design and manufacturing.

On the second technical school of Limassol, which will remain the city’s only technical school in the centre, Markatzis said only a small part of the works remains and is expected to be completed soon.

He said the school had been transformed, expanded significantly and equipped with modern facilities, describing it as “essentially a new school in the centre of Limassol”.

The upgrade, costing €5.5m, includes a lecture hall for more than 200 people, new administrative and staff areas, a chemistry laboratory, library, two classrooms, a cutting and sewing room with storage space, two computer rooms and a basketball court.

Markatzis said the shift of population away from city centres was one of the main reasons behind the development of the new school in Polemidia.

He noted that urban centres in Cyprus are no longer what they were 30 or 40 years ago, with many families now living outside the centre.

Against that backdrop, he said the new school in Polemidia would be able to serve more children, while Limassol would effectively have three strong technical education units: the upgraded second technical school in the centre, the third technical school of Limassol, and the new school in Polemidia.

Referring to the third technical and vocational school of education and training of Limassol, near the Polemidia forest park, he said it had also been upgraded in recent years with new cooking and catering workshops, describing it as a well-equipped school with very good facilities.

Markatzis said student numbers in technical education in Limassol were expected to rise sharply over the next three years, adding that the creation of another technical school could be discussed within five to six years if demand continues to grow.

He said technical education in Cyprus had been strengthened in recent years through improvements to curricula, infrastructure and equipment, while public perceptions had also shifted.

“We find ourselves in a situation where technical schools, which were empty 10-15 years ago, are today full and in some cases cannot serve all children,” he said.

He added that technical education in Cyprus had now been substantially upgraded and was on a par with quality systems in the European Union, with around a quarter of students choosing that path, a figure he said was continuing to rise.