Over 16,000 students and more than 3,000 educators are returning to Church schools for a school year with “renewed hopes,” the Archdiocese said on Thursday. With 55 Church schools in Malta and Gozo opening their doors to physically welcome their communities.

Of these, 1,973 are students who are joining the Church’s school, after taking part in the admission process through the criteria and policies managed by the Secretariat for Christian Education during the past year, it said.

A spokesperson for the Secretariat pointed out how the collaboration between all the partners, who always stress about its importance, was crucial to overcome the many difficulties brought about by the pandemic.

“Great sacrifices were made by students, parents, educators, educational leaders, and congregations, which together with help from various sectors, including the civil authorities, led to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic on education in Church schools in a substantial way,” the Secretariat said.

The Secretariat said that it is aware that it “does not always manage to meet everyone’s expectations for various reasons, and encouraged that in these moments we recognise and witness how we can recognise the differences between us and still work together for goals common to keep the student at the centre.”

This school year, together with the other sectors of the state and independent schools, the Church schools will be participating in the continuation of the implementation of the national reform linked to the achievement framework from learning (Learning Outcomes Framework). Linked to this curricular reform are also changes in the way of evaluating the different abilities of the students, with a direct contribution from the school teachers themselves, even with official certification, the Secretariat said.

It explained that, “this not only recognises and reinforces the professionalism of educators, but offers new opportunities so that we no longer depend exclusively on exams, while we continue to recognise the importance of exams.”

In a message to all students and educators, Archbishop Charles Scicluna encouraged everyone to “pray a lot so that this year respect for each other is built and we thank God that learning will now be in the classroom” and “so it is a moment where we celebrate the fact that we are present for each other, that every morning during the week we can meet, be a school community: teachers, staff, directors and students to grow as good and exemplary citizens for the good of everyone and of our country,” he said.

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