Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr. Athena Michailidou, described Thursday as a “milestone day” for Cyprus as it takes on, for the first time, the Presidency of the institution of European Schools.

These, she said, “essentially constitute an intergovernmental system of multilingual and multicultural education, with over thirty thousand students of all levels, in all member states of the European Union.”

In a press conference about Cyprus assuming the Presidency of European Schools, Michailidou clarified that the governing body of European Schools is the Supreme Council, which decides on pedagogical, administrative, and financial matters, and includes the Ministers of Education of the member states or their representatives, as well as representatives of the European Commission. The Presidency of the Council is assigned to a member state of the European Union for each school year.

She emphasised that Cyprus will preside over the Council for the 2024-2025 school year. Back in June she noted, the informal handover ceremony of the Presidency took place in Nicosia.

“During our Presidency, we will strive to achieve the institution’s key goals, such as building a supportive, inclusive, and safe school community, promoting the improvement of the quality of the working environment and the well-being of teachers, as well as utilizing education as an important tool for sustainable development. At the same time, we will adequately respond to all administrative challenges that may arise to meet the system’s needs,” said Michailidou.