In Cyprus secondary education is offered in two different types of provision: secondary general education and secondary technical and vocational education. Each type of education is administered by a different Directorate of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth - the Directorate of Secondary General Education and the Directorate of Technical and Vocational Education respectively. Secondary schools can be public or private.

In secondary education during the school year 2023/2024, the enrolments of pupils increased to 61.230 from 59.926 in the previous school year. 

Public secondary schools are open to children aged 12-18 years, except for the case of the public evening schools which are open to persons who have completed the age of  18 and in special cases persons who have completed the age of 17.

Public secondary education includes a six-year cycle of studies, which is free for all pupils and compulsory up to the age of fifteen or the end of the third year of studies, whichever comes first. Some private schools extend their cycle of studies to seven years in order to prepare pupils for international examinations. All types of secondary schools are co-educational and mixed-ability.

First Panhellenic and Pancyprian School Newspaper Competition

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MESY) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports of the Hellenic Republic held the school newspaper competition "THE STUDENT STEP" for students of public and private schools of secondary general education and secondary technical and vocational education and training. The competition was held under the auspices of alter ego media group and the newspaper "TO VIMA".
The competition was held between October 2024 and May 2025 and had an ultimate purpose to cultivate the written word, to enhance the love of reading and to develop the critical literacy. Through this action, the participants had the opportunity to deal with current affairs, to be more fully informed about current developments and to become familiar with the journalistic discourse. Sixteen schools from Cyprus, public and private, participated in the competition, three of which were evaluated for the shortlist.

Professional Counseling

Τhe Career Counselling and Educational Services (CCES) operate under the administration of the Secondary General Education of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. There are Counselling and Career Guidance offices in all public Secondary General Education and Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools as well as Central and Regional Career Guidance offices of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. The CCES practice, focuses on the personal, interpersonal, educational and career development of high school students and other young people. Through the counselling process and the career guidance, the school counsellors help students in Secondary Education and other young people to:
 - adjust to the school environment, set goals and grow personally and academically
 - develop positive self-esteem and acquire the skills to deal effectively with personal, family       and/or interpersonal issues.
 - grow and accept themselves and others.
 - learn and acquire decision making skills and techniques in order to make well informed    decisions concerning educational, career and personal choices.
 - identify their individual capabilities, interests and skills – reach self-awareness
 - explore different types of careers and gain valuable knowledge about the modern socio-         economic and cultural developments.
The ultimate aim is to enable them to make their own informed decisions. All of the above services are offered based on the uniqueness of each and every person. All counsellors comply to the code of ethics and laws governing the profession.
The CCES organize educational and career events open to the public every year. 

Secondary general education

Secondary General Education, Public and Private, covers a huge sector of the Cyprus educational system. Based on the socioeconomic, cultural, and national needs of Cyprus, public Secondary General Education offers equal opportunities for education and aims at:
a. the promotion of knowledge focusing on general education and gradual specialisation. Thus, it prepares pupils for their academic and professional pursuits
b. the promotion and development of healthy, spiritual, and moral personalities
c. the creation of competent, democratic, and law-abiding citizens. 
d. the strengthening of national identity, cultural values and universal ideals for freedom, justice, peace and the fostering of love and respect among people with a view to promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among people. 
All of these, within the framework of the new multicultural conditions existing both in Cyprus and worldwide during the 21st century.
Public Secondary General Education is offered to pupils between the ages of 12 - 18, through two, three-year cycles of study - the Gymnasium and the Lyceum. The curriculum includes common core subjects, such as Modern Greek, Mathematics and Optional Subjects. Some subjects are interdisciplinary such as Health Education and Environmental Studies. Moreover, there are various extracurricular activities, such as clubs, excursions, and field trips, in order to attain a more comprehensive and balanced development of the pupils’ personality. Education is compulsory up to the age of 15 and free for all grades and compulsory until the student completes secondary school or reaches the age of 15, whichever comes first.
Secondary General Education comprises a six-year course of studies, which is divided into two successive cycles, the general lower secondary education (Gymnasium) and the general upper secondary education (Lyceum).
The Gymnasium is a three-year cycle of lower secondary general education. It is compulsory for all pupils and complements the general education offered in Primary Education. Furthermore, it prepares pupils to enter the upper secondary General Education Cycle, the Lyceum, or the Technical / Vocational Education path. 
The educational objectives in the Gymnasium include: 

• broadening pupils' moral, social, personal, aesthetic, technical and economic values;
  providing knowledge that will help pupils meet personal, social and economic challenges;
• developing skills for critical literacy through the acquisition of the pupils’ first language;
• leading pupils to acquaint themselves with a range of different art forms, express their artistic talents and progressively from their own sense of connoisseurship;
• helping pupils to become self-aware of their potential in terms of skills, interests, and talents, and be able to appreciate the importance of both intellectual and vocational aspects of work in order to select the type of employment they aspire to; and,
• the physical development of pupils by cultivating their kinesthetic skills. 

The implementation of the curriculum at the Lyceum aims at strengthening the validity of the School Leaving Certificate (Apolyterion) of the public school and ensuring a more reliable system of access to public Higher Education Institutions in both Cyprus and abroad. 
The Lyceum offers a three-year-long cycle of studies, which includes common core subjects, optional stream subjects and subjects of special interest and/or enrichment. The Lyceum aims to: 

• offer pupils the opportunity to develop all facets of their capabilities through general as well as specific scientific and technological knowledge, so that they can respond to a changing world and adapt to an evolving work environment; and,
• link school with the outside world, thus offering pupils opportunities to familiarise themselves with the labor market so that they become able to effectively plan their careers, whether they aim to be employed, venture into entrepreneurship or pursue higher education.

The State Institutes for Further Education (SIFE)

The State Institutes of further Education (SIFE), which began operating in 1959 as Foreign Language Institutes offer a range of courses to students of all levels, as well as adults, in both urban centers and rural areas, thus providing equal learning opportunities and contributing to Lifelong Learning, which is a fundamental requirement of the European Union.
The SIFE operate throughout Cyprus, under the responsibility of the Directorate of Secondary General Education. 
In addition to their educational role, they also perform a social function, with low tuition fees and tuition exemptions offered in accordance with relevant decisions of the Council of Ministers. They also offer scholarships with the aim of promoting excellence. At the same time, they provide employment opportunities for hundreds of young teachers without permanent positions. The SIFE are housed in public primary and secondary schools, making use of the infrastructure and facilities of the schools that host them. During the 2024-2025 school year, 40 SIFE and 6 branches were in operation, with approximately 10.000 students enrolled, while the number of teachers reached approximately 390. 

Office of Special Education

In Secondary Education, three types of support programmes operate following approval by the District Committees: Individual Support, Individualised Small Group Support and Group Support Programmes. Support is provided by subject teachers within the school setting.

Exemptions concern only non-examined subjects and are granted in order to facilitate participation in support lessons. Exemption from examined subjects is not permitted.
Within each secondary school, an Assistant Head is designated as responsible for the coordination of special education provision, ensuring implementation of Committee decisions, liaison with parents and monitoring of support programmes.

Secondary technical and vocational education

Upper Secondary Technical and Vocational Education (STVE) addresses students aged between 15 and 18 years who are graduates of lower secondary education (gymnasium graduates).

The programmes are offered in two directions, the theoretical and the practical direction The duration of studies is three years for each direction. Upon completion of secondary technical and vocational education, pupils are awarded a School Leaving Certificate (Apolyterion), which is equivalent to that awarded by Secondary General Education Schools, providing access to the labour market or to Institutions of Higher Education in Cyprus or abroad.

Evening schools of secondary education

Public evening schools are primarily addressed to adult learners (18+). In specific and duly justified cases, younger learners may be admitted under conditions defined by national regulations.
The new operational model includes literacy support programmes in Greek, Mathematics and English at lower secondary level, intensive preparatory courses for core knowledge acquisition, flexible orientation pathways at upper secondary level, and strengthened cooperation with local communities and the labour market.
Provision is also made for the validation of prior learning, allowing adult learners to be exempted from modules where prior certified or experiential learning is demonstrated.
Evening Schools form an integral part of Cyprus’ lifelong learning strategy, promoting equity, flexibility and inclusive education policies. 

Private secondary education

Private secondary schools are established by private bodies or individuals and they operate on a for-profit basis. They are registered with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth which is responsible for their supervision.
The percentage of the pupil population of our country that attends recognized private Primary and Secondary Schools is approximately 22%.
Depending on the detailed and timetabled curricula that they apply, the Private Schools are classified into three types as follows: 

• Schools of the same type: Private Schools of the same type are those schools which strictly follow the existing curricula of Public Schools.
• Schools of similar type: Private Schools of a similar type are those schools in which 2/3 of the major and common core subjects offered in Public schools, are taught in relation to time and subject content.
• Schools of a different type: Private Schools of a different type are those schools which do not belong to any of the above two categories.
   

Private Secondary Schools in 2023:

• 40 approved Private Secondary Schools
• 1800 (approx.) teaching staff members
• 14500 pupils/students 

Post-secondary non-tertiary education

The aim of the Post-Secondary Institutes of Vocational Education and Training is to offer modern and flexible programs vocational education and training that will satisfy the needs of secondary education graduates for further vocational education and training. There are currently eight programs available. These programs last two years and lead to the qualification of "Higher Technician".

Legislation

Regulations ΚΔΠ 310/1990–ΚΔΠ 130/2011, issued on the basis of Article 11 of Law 6/1961 and its amendments, govern the operation of public secondary schools. The operation of public evening secondary schools is governed by Regulations ΚΔΠ 45/1990–ΚΔΠ 337/2010, issued on the basis of the same Law.

Private secondary education is governed by the laws on Private Schools and Institutes (Laws 5/1971 to 77(I) 2008), which concern private schools and institutions.

Law 24(I)/1993 provides that education is compulsory and free at the elementary and gymnasium level.