The new technical gymnasium will open its doors in September, “signalling a new era for education in Cyprus” and providing “real opportunities” to students, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday.

“This is an innovative political initiative” that is part of the implementation of the president’s programme and the broader strategic plan for a multidimensional and functional educational system, Letymbiotis said.

He added that the pilot implementation at the gymnasiums of Ayios Stylianos in Nicosia and Polemidia in Limassol, “students are given the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills related to technology, construction, creativity and entrepreneurship.”

“The technical gymnasium is not just another option. It is a different school, one that merges learning with practice, theory with the laboratory and school with life,” he said.

Students at the technical gymnasium will be able to choose mechanical science or design and construction.

Lessons will be taught in modern laboratories, with an emphasis on technology, digital tools, teamwork and problem solving.

The programme will operate in the afternoons, with 20 teaching periods per week and free lunch provided.

“It does not replace but complements general education, opening new paths for children who want to experience technical education early and gradually build their professional choices,” Letymbiotis said.

He added that “the new structure adapts to the demands of the modern era, is linked to the needs of the labour market and supports technical and vocational education as an equal and not second-rate option.”

“Simply put, the government is introducing a school that meets the needs of the new era and gives young people real opportunities,” he said.