Copyright philenews
Let’s not fool ourselves. There’s a serious problem in our schools—and we need to admit it. We’ve failed, both as a society and as a state. The recent incident of a child and parent being beaten in Aglandjia wasn’t an isolated event. It was an eruption that came to shake us awake and show us how deep the problem runs. The issue is multifaceted. On one hand, it concerns safety within school premises and on the other, it touches on the wider phenomenon of youth delinquency, which has been manifesting with alarming intensity in recent years. Until society and the state find substantive ways of addressing this situation and the social causes that breed youth delinquency, let’s focus on what’s most immediate and critical: ensuring the safety of our children in and around school. School must be a place of learning, safety and respect—not violence, drugs, extortion or any other form of criminal behaviour. Every parent sends their child to school expecting them to be in a healthy and protected environment, not a place where they risk becoming victims of assault or intimidation. The details emerging about Aglandjia are shocking. If they don’t set off alarm bells, then we truly have a problem. As the school’s Parents Association president, Andreas Pieridis, reported, two or three groups of youths operate in the area, harassing pupils outside the school on a daily basis. Parents report that beyond the recent incident, there have been another nine or ten attacks on pupils. Many incidents, however, go unreported because children and parents fear reprisals. So where have we ended up? With minors being terrorised by groups of individuals—regardless of nationality—and staying silent because they fear worse consequences? This isn’t a localised phenomenon. In many schools across the country, incidents are occurring that demand immediate and coordinated response. Drug use in schools has become a scourge. According to data presented by Sophia Kousaridou, head of the Anti-Drug Council’s Prevention and Social Intervention Office, during the last two years (2023–30 September 2025), 91 minors were referred to Treatment Centres through the relevant cooperation protocol. This figure alone is enough to show the problem has reached alarming proportions. Meanwhile, vandalism, theft and destruction of school facilities are not uncommon, mainly outside operating hours. Teachers arrive in the morning to find syringes, condoms and traces of illegal activities in the playgrounds, whilst equipment theft is also rife. A characteristic example are cases where solar panels are ripped out at night by gangs who then sell the copper from the piping. This represents enormous financial damage, which the state is called upon to cover—meaning the citizens themselves. This picture does us no credit. On the contrary, it exposes us as a society that cannot protect its future—its children. The need for substantive measures is urgent and non-negotiable. Occasional interventions won’t do, nor will words of sympathy after each violent incident. We need a holistic strategy: enhanced policing around schools, social workers and psychologists in every unit, education in empathy and respect, and support for those facing behavioural or other problems. If we want our schools to remain places of learning and hope, we must act now. Otherwise, I fear very soon we’ll have far more serious problems to manage.
