The government is carrying out a €20 million refurbishment programme on some 40 schools, some of which are co-ed middle schools – a concept that will see widespread introduction as from the upcoming scholastic year after a pilot project at the Pembroke secondary. The refurbishment project is also aimed at introducing the government policy of having smaller schools that cater for 600 to 700 students.
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo inspected maintenance works at the St Claire’s College Sports School in Pembroke and the Cospicua Girls Secondary this morning. He said that €8 million are being spent on works carried out in the summer months alone.
The Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools has embarked on a series of projects with the aim of ensuring that a number of middle schools are available by the 2014/2015 scholastic year. These are St Therese College Birkirkara Boys Secondary, St Margaret College Cospicua Girls Secondary, St Nicholas College Rabat Girls Secondary and Gozo College Rabat Girls Secondary.
The biggest expenditure was incurred at the Cospicua secondary school, where a new block was built and the existing parts were given a completely new look. The €2.1 million project, which was spread over two years, included gypsum plastering and retiling. The school is served with lifts and is fully accessible to students with disabilities. The school, which was extended by over 2,000 square meters, will accommodate 500 students.
The Birkirkara Secondary has been extended by 1,700 square meters to over 5,300 sqm. The project included the construction of a new block, repainting and the installation of new electricity and lighting systems, new plumbing and drain systems, re-tiling and double glazed apertures. The school will accommodate 550 students.
The Rabat Girls Secondary School, which forms part of the Gozo College went through a minor refurbishment project but tiles, wiring, water services and apertures were still replaced.
Further refurbishment works were carried out in the new Middle Schools. Practically all schools have had new sanitary facilities and CCTV cameras installed and virtually all furniture has been replaced. Several refurbishment works were carried out at the Blata l-Bajda, Naxxar, Rabat and Victoria Middle Schools.
New National Sports School in Pembroke
In addition, a flagship project is being carried out in two phases at the Sports School at Luigi Preziosi Schol in St Andrews. The National Sports School, which opened in 2012, is currently located in Kirkop but will move to Pembroke in September.
Part of the old school was torn down and new blocks were built. The first phase of the project, which mainly involved refurbishment, cost some €300,000. The second phase, which will see the construction of a 1,400 sqm sports hall, will cost around €1.6 million.
The hall will have enough space for 8 badminton courts, two basketball courts and four volleyball courts, which can be used simultaneously. A second, 560sqm hall will be built for gymnastics and other disciplines. Apart from sports facilities, the school will also boast a number of laboratories and a library. The centrally-located school will cater for 225 secondary school students.
Refurbishment of primary schools
Other projects are being carried out in various Primary Schools. Sanitary facilities were replaced at the Birkirkara, Fgura, Qormi San Gorg, San Gwann, Senglea, Santa Venera and Zabbar primaries. Rubber flooring was introduced at the Birzebbugia, Fgura, Gharghur, Kirkop and Lija schools, and lifts were installed in Gzira, Pieta’, Mellieha, St Paul’s Bay, Birzebbugia, Fgura, Gharghur, Kirkop and Lija.
Similar works were carried out at the Xaghra, San Lawrenz, Sannat, Gharb and Kercem primary schools in Gozo.