The foundation stone was laid today for the new primary school, which is to be built in Victoria, Gozo, through an investment of €10 million.
The school will be spread on 8,000 square metres, of which 3,000 will be for sports and recreational use. The primary school and the kindergarten will be able to take on approximately 650 pupils collectively.
The ceremony was carried out during a site visit by Minister for Education and Employment Owen Bonnici, together with the Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri. They were accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri, Permanent Secretary John Borg, Principal of the Gozo College Denise Mifsud, and Head of School Lelio Spiteri.
The existing primary school in Victoria is about 160 years old and the project for the new school is being carried out “after years of careful planning and decisions and will be the largest capital project for Gozo’s educational infrastructure,” the Government said in a statement.
The new school will have 16 classrooms for primary education and 10 classrooms for kindergarten. The school will also have classrooms for specific subjects, such as science, information technology and the arts.
Minister Owen Bonnici said that, “today we are witnessing the laying of the first stone of the new primary school that will be built for our children in this ever-growing locality.”
Minister Bonnici went on to mention that, “we will have a school equipped with the best facilities, including technology and sports, similar to the schools being built under this government.”
“The local community will also benefit from this project through a childcare centre for working parents, as well as through many sports facilities that can be used after school hours,” the Minister said.
He added that “as a government, we are committed to making school buildings inclusive for all children and students, we are making schools accessible to all, including people with mobility difficulties.”
“When it came to planning this project, we decided that apart from building a new primary school, we would expand and modernise the adjacent middle school, where works have already started,” Minister Bonnici said. “I thank all the educators, specially the Principal of the College and the Head of School, as well as all the parents and children for the cooperation they are showing.”
“As we have done with other projects, when completed, this will be a beautiful school. One which our children and educators truly deserve,” concluded Minister Bonnici.
Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri said that, “the need for a larger and more adequate primary school for today’s demands in Victoria, Gozo, has been felt for a number of years.”
“Today we can say that works have started and in the next few months we will have a new primary school in the centre of Victoria, including a childcare centre and a completely refurbished middle school. This school will be a much better alternative for all the children who attend or will attend the primary school in Victoria,” he said.
Minister Clint Camilleri concluded by thanking Minister Owen Bonnici for giving priority to schools in Gozo so that Gozitan students are not only given the highest level of education but enjoy the best environment they deserve.”
College Principal Denise Mifsud said that, “at present, the school population comprised 350 students from kindergarten to Year 6. In the new school, besides the classrooms, there are also rooms where specific subjects can be taught, like art, music, drama and science.”
She explained that, “the new school will have a spacious staffroom as well as a well-equipped gym which will surely enhance indoor sports activities, besides the outside areas where students can have their break in the open air. It will also have a hall for the morning assemblies when the weather is cold and other similar activities.”