Education in Cyprus: from preschool to higher

Kindergartens and nurseries

If we talk about nursery, then they in Cyprus accept children from the age of five months: despite such a small age, here you can also choose one of several programs offered, depending on the wishes of the parents. As for preschool institutions, which are mainly represented by kindergartens, in Cyprus they accept children of different ages. At the same time, organizations specialize in various teaching methods (led by the Montessori system, etc.), and here you can also choose the language in which children attending kindergarten will speak - Greek, English, Russian, etc.

Kindergartens at primary schools accept children from the age of two to three years and work according to the program of smooth preparation of children for school. In any teaching format, there is no oversaturation in local kindergartens (usually there are from 5 to 10 children in groups), so in Cyprus the supply usually exceeds the demand. The cost of staying in private gardens (they are usually chosen by Russians) and cities differ insignificantly and usually amounts to about 300 euros per month - this is provided that the child stays throughout the day from Monday to Friday. If the question of finding a child in the garden before lunch is considered, then this will be approximately 150 euros per month.

School education

Primary school in Cyprus traditionally starts for children from the age of six. The country has both free public schools, where teaching is in Greek, and private ones. For obvious linguistic reasons, among Russians, private schools are much more in demand - both Russian, where they teach in their native language, and international ones. Many private schools cooperate with both local and foreign universities (Great Britain, USA, Czech Republic, Germany), so their program is developed specifically for a future university in a particular country.

At the end of the learning process, a gradual passing of exams takes place to gain the necessary points that will be required for admission to a university. Parents should be aware of the fact that in such institutions the number of places is very limited and, as a rule, registration in them is made in advance, so it makes sense to start bothering about this issue in advance. In private schools in Cyprus, not only the programs vary, but also the cost of education - the stronger and more prestigious the school, the higher the cost.

For example, the American academy school in demand among foreigners, which is located in Limassol, is recognized as one of the strongest in Cyprus, includes both school and preschool education, has the following system of expenses. When registering a child, a fee of 100 euros is paid and a deposit of 400 euros is made. A year of study in a kindergarten is 2880 euros, a preparatory year for school will cost 3960 euros. Each school year will cost between 5,000 and 8,000 euros, increasing in tuition fees as the child moves to the next grade. There is also a "prolongation" (from 13:30 to 18 hours), which will cost 900-2100 euros per month. Lunches are paid additionally: they will cost 750-950 euros per month, depending on the age of the student. It is worth noting that although the school is highly rated, there are private schools of a higher class in Cyprus, where education is even more expensive - Foley, Heritage, etc.

Official Russian schools are also open in Cyprus: the secondary school at the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Cyprus is located in Nicosia - this is the only Russian school in Cyprus that is accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Our other three schools operate in Limassol and one in Paphos. The school in Nicosia is usually attended by the children of our embassy employees or contract workers in Cypriot companies. Studying at this school and passing the Unified State Exam, its graduates receive a Russian certificate. However, there is also an opportunity for those studying in other Russian schools in Cyprus to receive a Russian document on complete secondary education, having passed exams in this educational institution, in agreement with the embassy. The monthly tuition fee for this school is 150 euros.

The primary issue for a family moving to Cyprus is language. Those who decide to assimilate in Cyprus prefer education in Greek, and families planning to send their children to study abroad prefer English. It should be understood that the education program in Cyprus is fundamentally different from the Russian one, so at the initial stage it can be quite difficult for a child. But at the same time, there are no problems with extracurricular teaching on the island, so assimilation will take place quickly for the student. For admission to school (if we are not talking about learning from scratch), you must pass certification in some subjects - such as English, mathematics, geography, history.

Russian schools in Limassol and Paphos are already accredited by the Ministry of Education of Cyprus, so after graduation, graduates receive a Cypriot certificate. The cost of training is 250 euros per month. There is also the possibility of an extension, the cost of which is 60-80 euros per month, and the total cost of lunch for the same period does not exceed 100 euros. There is a useful transfer service in Russian schools in Cyprus: for 140-160 euros per month, the child will be delivered to school or home, although this only applies to addresses within Limassol and Paphos - children will not be taken to more remote villages and cities. The main disadvantage of Russian schools in Cyprus is the lack of cooperation with European universities.

Higher education

Due to the fact that Cyprus is a former British colony, the local education system on the island is built on the English system, thanks to which it is at a very high level. In this country, you can get two types of education - public and private. In private schools, upon completion of senior classes, exams are taken, which are recognized not only as graduation, but also as entrance exams for the university with which the school cooperates. In other cases, after graduating from school, the applicant is given one year to prepare and pass the necessary exams at the university: in case of receiving a passing score, the applicant is accepted for subsequent studies.

Higher education in Cyprus in the international arena is now in sufficient demand, while higher education in the country has not so many years - the University of Cyprus was founded in 1989, previously only the European University of Cyprus worked here (since 1961), but then it had the status college. Located in Nicosia, the University of Cyprus is recognized as the most prestigious among the local six universities. Today this university has over 4000 students and 1200 postgraduates. Education here can be obtained in Greek, English and Turkish in six faculties: humanities, applied sciences, social sciences and education, economics and management, engineering sciences and philology. An important advantage of obtaining higher education in Cyprus is its relative accessibility, especially when compared with the UK, which has similar principles in the education system. Annual tuition here is 7,000-10,000 euros, depending on the training program.

Thank you for your help in preparing the material:

Martu Chipets, expert at Empire Property Cyprus

Anastasios Politidis, expert at CyprusDom - Property