The Cypriot Primary Education is the initial stage of education and has as its basic aim to create, establish and offer opportunities to all children, regardless of age, gender or country of origin, to achieve a balanced cognitive, emotional and psychomotor development.

Pre-Primary Education is compulsory for all the children that have reached the age of four years and eight months before September 1st of the year during which they will attend school. Attendance of Primary Education is compulsory for all the children that have reached the age of five years and eight months.

The National Curriculum and the teaching methodologies adopted in Cyprus Primary Education emphasize the learning process and focus on strategies which assist pupils in learning how to learn and in developing their critical and creative thinking.

A basic responsibility of Primary Education is to help pupils become acquainted with their civilization and tradition and to develop respect and love for their national heritage, become aware of their national identity, the Greek language, the Greek Orthodox religion and their history.

At the same time, there is awareness of the multicultural trends which are developing in the modern world. Consequently, Primary Education supports the development of intercultural awareness, tolerance and respect of otherness.

Primary Education works towards the harmonious coexistence of pupils regardless of differences in ethnicity or cultural background. The Primary Education Department is continuously working towards the improvement of Cyprus Primary Education. It aims at the continuous and systematic training of teaching staff, the upgrading and writing of new textbooks that will cater to the needs of the National Curriculum and society in general. Moreover, it aims towards the improvement of teaching methods and approaches, the design and implementation of modern developmental programmes, the increase of special education programmes and of programmes which support pupils with learning difficulties, the extension and building of new school units and the overall development of the infrastructure required for quality education.

The various areas for which the Primary Education Department is responsible include: Primary Education (private and state primary schools), Pre-Primary Education (private, public and community Pre-Primary schools), Special Education (special schools, special units and support services offered to children with special needs who are taught inclusively in public primary and Pre-Primary schools), the Cyprus Educational Mission (Cyprus community schools in Great Britain), the Education of the children of Greek of the Diaspora, Educational and Summer Camps, and Adult Education Centres.

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