A school in Nicosia installed fingerprint-based access to toilets — the device was ordered to be removed

At one of the technical education institutions in Nicosia, a system was installed to control access to toilets using a fingerprint, code, or card, which provoked a strong reaction from parents and students.

As reported on Sigma television by the president of the Confederation of Parents of Secondary Education, Loizos Konstantinou, following the complaints received, the organization contacted the Ministry of Education, which instructed that the device be immediately dismantled. According to him, the installation of such a system is illegal.

Commenting on the situation, Konstantinou recalled that in the past the administrations of some schools had indeed locked toilets in an attempt to deal with vandalism, the use of prohibited substances, or conflicts between students. However, he stressed that restricting access to sanitary facilities is unacceptable.

“A student’s right to free access to the toilet is not subject to discussion,” Konstantinou noted, adding that the Ministry of Education had previously already sent schools a circular demanding that the practice of locking toilets be stopped.

According to him, despite the real problems schools face, such measures are not a solution and violate the basic rights of students.