If you have children of school age their education may be a major factor in any decision you make about living in Cyprus.
Cyprus has a high standard of education and children of a European citizen has a right to free schooling in Cyprus.
So it's free to send your child to one of the Greek schools in Cyprus, but private education at the many international or English curriculum schools across the island has to be paid for.
Make sure you do YOUR homework.
Private Education
Parents often move to Cyprus, settle in, and then find out how much tuition in one of the English schools costs each year. It's usually quite a shock, and many of them simply can't afford this kind of financial burden in addition to normal living expenses. Particularly with two or more children.
State Education
If that is the case the child or children will attend a local school. While these are good places of education, there are a couple of major problems associated with an English speaking child attending a Greek speaking school.
Remember that your child is not only being dropped into an alien environment, but also into a situation where he or she is expected to learn the curriculum and keep up with the other children, often while, initially at least, being unable to speak the local language. This can be stressful, not only for the child but often also for the parents.
It tends to be less of a problem the younger the children start as they can often pick up the language quite quickly.
Cultural Value
Greek is a language of great historical and cultural value and sending children to a Greek-speaking school means they will learn the language. That will certainly help for working where the language is spoken but it will be of less value in the wider world which increasingly uses English to do business.
We have connections with private schools across the country who can provide comprehensive information, help and guidance.
