MPs back veto on law requiring notification of school absences

The House education committee on Monday backed President Nikos Christodoulides’ veto on a proposed law that would have made it mandatory for schools to notify parents or guardians of a child’s absence.

The decision followed an extraordinary committee session, held in the presence of Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou and senior education and welfare officials.

The veto concerned two pieces of legislation, which the president sent back to parliament citing practical challenges in their implementation.

The education ministry and the deputy ministry of social welfare said the proposed notification process was deemed unfeasible within the daily operation of schools.

The committee agreed, voting unanimously to revise the laws and leave the method of enforcement to the discretion of the executive branch through decrees and circulars.

Committee chairman Pavlos Mylonas said the revised laws will maintain the requirement for prompt parent notification in cases of student absences but allow flexibility in how this is carried out.

The goal, he added, is to ensure consistent and effective communication between schools and families.

Panayiotou welcomed the outcome, calling it a “shared understanding” between parliament and the government, vital for safeguarding children.

The bill was first drawn up in response to an incident in Nicosia, where a nine-month-old infant died earlier this year after being accidentally left in a car after the child’s mother forgot to drop the baby off at nursery on her way to work.

Akel MP Andreas Kavkalias criticised the government for taking months to issue the necessary decree, saying that pressure from MPs was key to prompting action.

In a bid to support schools, the education ministry is reportedly considering supplying designated phones for notifying parents and integrating the existing eDEA system to streamline communication in real time.