Schools in Cyprus

Gross enrolment overall: 78.5% (2012)

Primary female–male ratio: 1:1 (2012)

Secondary female–male ratio: 1.02:1 (2012)

Primary pupil–teacher ratio: 13.8:1 (2012)

Secondary pupil–teacher ratio: 9.7:1 (2012)

There are nine years of compulsory education starting at the age of six. Primary school comprises six years and secondary six, with two cycles each of three years. There are many private schools. Some 95 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2007). The school year starts in September.

A large number of independent or private schools offer education at pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels throughout Cyprus. Many of these schools, especially at secondary education level, offer English curricula and some also offer internationally recognised qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate and International GCSE and A-level. Notable among such schools are the Pascal English Schools, which are found in Larnaca and Lefkosia and offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme; and the American International School, Nicosia, which offers a curriculum accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in Philadelphia, USA.