EUR 350 for Cyprus gymnasium students to buy notebooks

The government of Cyprus has decided to offer all students enrolled at gymnasiums a grant of EUR 350 per student to buy notebooks, a reduction of the initial proposal for EUR 500 in aid.
Education Minister Andreas Demetriou believes that because there are so many children involved, around 8,800, when the proposal is put to tender the prices will be so competitive that the students won’t have to put any money towards the purchase.
The idea is for students to use the computers during their computer lessons.
“Second year of gymnasium is a suitable age for this scheme because the children have matured so that they can use technology and considering that today’s expected lifespan for a computer is around four years, this will cover their entire secondary education,” Demetriou said.
The Cabinet had also approved the immediate implementation of measures to improve the quality of educational services.
The minister said these include improving the infrastructure of 15 full-day primary schools, upgrading the equipment at special-needs schools, special needs units and special needs classrooms with modern equipment and educational games which would better meet their needs, and upgrading playgrounds at 44 nursery schools.
“Finally we will extend the Open School programme to twice as many municipalities and communities as part of the Ministry’s policy to open up schools to the community for many reasons but also as a way to deal with antisocial behaviour,” said Demetriou.
House Education Committee chairman Nicos Tornaritis was critical of the government decision, saying that “while this sounds like a pleasant, Christmas bonus, there was no proper planning by the ministry.”
He questioned why students of the other classes were discriminated against and added that last year’s decision to provide a similar grant to freshman students at public universities should not have been cancelled, but should have been extended to all students in Cyprus and abroad.
Opposition Nedisy president Christoforos Fokaides condemned the “Akel government’s decision to limit the subsidy to second year gymnasium students and disqualify all other students, but also to reduce the amount of the grant from 500 to 350 euros.”