# Northern Cyprus school safety and staffing concerns > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/northern-cyprus-school-safety-and-staffing-concerns > Updated: 2026-08-23T07:45:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. Teachers' unions in Northern Cyprus have raised alarms regarding increasing violence, peer bullying, and security failures within the school system. Ahmet Karaoğulları, President of the Cyprus Turkish Middle Education Teachers' Union (KTOEÖS), emphasized that the state and the Ministry of Education bear the primary responsibility for ensuring schools are safe from physical and psychological abuse. He specifically called for investigations into sexual assaults involving children and questioned the security protocols and background checks used for school staff. Burak Maviş, General Secretary of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers' Union (KTÖS), highlighted a critical shortage of psychological support services. He noted that within the Primary Education Department, only 26 counseling teachers serve 110 schools, creating a ratio of approximately one counselor for every 850 students. Maviş argued that school violence is a structural issue requiring increased staffing of guidance counselors and improved psychosocial support mechanisms rather than just disciplinary measures. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-23: Cyprus leaders raise concerns over school shortages and union threats Leaders in Cyprus condemn government inaction regarding school counselor shortages and denounce death threats against a prominent electricity workers' union leader. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cyprus-leaders-raise-concerns-over-school-shortages-and-union-threats ### 2026-08-18: Northern Cyprus teachers' unions demand urgent school safety reforms Teachers' unions in Northern Cyprus are demanding urgent action to address rising school violence, sexual abuse incidents, and a severe shortage of psychological counselors for students. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/northern-cyprus-teachers-unions-demand-urgent-school-safety-reforms --- Cite as: Northern Cyprus school safety and staffing concerns. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/northern-cyprus-school-safety-and-staffing-concerns