The assessments of the former rector of the University of Cyprus, referred to by the Municipality of Larnaca, regarding the establishment of a University School in the city, are completely different from the assessments presented recently in a letter from the Ministry of Education, submitted at the last session. of the relevant Parliamentary Committee, where the issue was discussed. While the letter from the Ministry of Education mentions a cost of about 100 million euros, the estimate of the former rector of the University states that for a decade the expenses of the University School of Marine Sciences and Technology would be 55 million euros, while the income would be around 30 million. The cost to the state would be 25 million for ten years. In statements on the local website Larnakaonline, Mayor Andreas Vyras said that the reports of the former director of the office of the PD Michalis Sophocleous, for bypassing the agreement, are inaccurate and that no agreement of 15 million for the cost has been made. In addition, the mayor stated that in October 2017 an Advisory Committee was set up, which determined that for the needs of this school in Larnaca, 20 thousand sq.m. “As a municipality, we had divided the building needs of the school into three parts. We could immediately transfer the building of the former Ottoman Bank, in Vassileos Pavlou Square, for the postgraduate programs, while for the following years we secured a T/C property of the former Kornaros and with funding from the Fisheries Program we intended to deliver the next 2 -3 years a completely renovated building of 1,000 square meters.
As for the permanent housing of the school, after the rejection of the solution of the former leprosarium (because it is Natura), we had suggested some other places, the cost of which would be lower, such as the building of the old airport, but also some others areas of state land “, added the mayor. The position of the Municipality of Larnaca is that if there was a real will to create the school, then it would be done. A. Vyras reiterated that the final cancellation of the school will not be accepted. Meanwhile, an AKEL Larnaca delegation met on Wednesday with the rector of the University of Cyprus, Tassos Christofidis, to discuss the establishment of the School of Marine Science and Technology. The delegation expressed the intention to take initiatives, in cooperation with all stakeholders, for the establishment of this school.
Clarifications
On the subject of University School in Larnaca, the Minister of Education Prodromos Prodromou clarified yesterday, in a written statement, that the government has not abandoned the initial planning, nor the intention to proceed, according to the announcement of the PD, to the creation of a University School in Larnaca. As he explained, the problem arose when the University of Cyprus changed the initial cost estimate of the project and from 25 million euros (55 million costs, with a revenue estimate of 30 million over a decade) submitted a new cost estimate of over 100 million (with revenue estimate of 3.5 million over a decade). He also said that an additional reason why the project could not proceed is the abandonment of the original site, where the school (former leprosarium) was planned to be built.
