The Ministry of Education has postponed the law on mandatory parental notification of children's absence from schools

The Ministry of Education of Cyprus has decided, following the President’s request, to return for revision the draft law that provides for mandatory parental notification in case a child is absent from school. The Ministry stated that it agreed with this step, as some provisions of the law may prove difficult to implement in practice.

According to the initial version of the law, schools were required to immediately notify parents or guardians if a child was absent without a valid reason. However, the Ministry of Education noted that in some cases—especially in primary schools or rural areas—immediate notification may be impossible due to lack of staff or technical resources.

The Ministry emphasized that there is already a system in place through which parents are informed about a child’s absence, especially if it may be related to suspected violence or bullying. However, expanding these mechanisms requires additional planning to ensure equal conditions across all educational institutions.

The Ministry also noted its willingness to cooperate with the parliament and other agencies to improve the legal framework and establish realistic and feasible procedures for the timely notification of parents about children’s absence from school.