Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School (GCHSS) held its graduation ceremony on June 3. Some 320 students received Merit Certificates for successfully completing their two-year course at Advanced or Matriculation Certificate level.
Credit Certificates were awarded to the best students in 26 subjects at Advanced and Intermediate levels and to other students who distinguished themselves in the various school activities.
The evening took off with Celebration Time - half an hour of entertaining choreography with the participation of 24 students and teachers. The metaphorical theme of Spiderman symbolised the eternal conflict between Good and Evil.
In his address the head of school, Horace Caruana, explained that the changes in the registration policy of students issued last September ensured a smoother beginning of the new scholastic year. In three years the student population had increased by a third, and now stood at 1,550. To cater for this increase, the Education Division had agreed with the Malta Union of Teachers on a temporary new working schedule for teaching grades at GCHSS.
The building extensions are needed to accommodate the ever-increasing student population. The Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools (FTS) has planned a new four-storey block of 24 lecture rooms accommodating another 600 students at any one time. A new large library will take up the whole ground floor. Construction works should start this month and the new block should be completed for the coming scholastic year.
Mr Caruana then focused on topical issues concerning the post-secondary sector, namely the Chalmers Report on State Higher Education Funding, the two-day conference organised by the Education Division in November on "Rising to the Challenge of the Lisbon Objectives" and the wide consultation carried out by the MATSEC Review Board.
He referred to the long meeting held with the Chalmers Working Group in July 2004 in which the school administration presented detailed reports about the school's development plans, financial situation, the growing student population, and the need for more resources, better financing strategies, and to streamline and coordinate better the educational service given in the different post-secondary institutions which are still operating in isolation from one another. Mr Caruana said that he will soon be presenting a report to the Minister of Education with the reactions of the students and the teaching staff to the Chalmers report.
As far as the Lisbon Objectives for education are concerned, especially the concept of lifelong education, Mr Caruana stressed that many school leavers and adult and mature students wanted to continue general academic learning, but there was no provision for them in higher institutions. He said that with increased physical and human resources, appropriate academic learning opportunities could be made accessible to these students at the GCHSS.
Mr Caruana said that the current MATSEC examination system was putting great pressure on second-year students and their teachers to complete the syllabus in time and to carry out a proper revision. These examinations start during the last week in April, usually a few days after the Easter holidays. So, lectures have to stop at the end of March. The school proposed that these examinations be carried out in June so that students and teachers would gain two months of lectures. These are usually the most fruitful weeks of study for students.
Mr Caruana said the current scholastic year marked the 20th anniversary of the school's foundation. He quoted from a Planning Paper, dated February 14, 1985, and written by Joe Zammit Mangion, then Education Officer Planning, to the Prime Minister which said that "the launching of the Higher Secondary School idea was a step in the right direction and a very important one for the provision of additional educational services and facilities outside the University-oriented New Lyceums...
"The scope and functions of the school as laid down before its opening and as it has started, include the following:
"To provide GCE O-level studies to those students who, after finishing their Form V secondary education still need a few GCE O-level passes to qualify for entry into the New Lyceums.
"To provide GCE O- and/or A-level studies those who wanted to continue their education on a full time basis for their own needs but outside New Lyceum/University entry in view."
Mr Caruana said that these two objectives were still being pursued, even though the school education provision widened considerably to cater for new developments in education. Today, through its three study programmes, the school provides students with an opportunity to better their academic qualifications, prepares students for entry into vocational institutions and prepares students for entry into the university.
In the same paper, Mr Zammit Mangion had envisaged "the new Higher Secondary School as eventually developing into a college/s of further education (below university level)". Mr Carauna mentioned his four predecessors: Dr Ronnie Abdilla, Dr Paul Heywood, Godfrey Testa, and Dr Joe Grima.
He then invited the Minister of Education to present the certificates. In a brief address, Dr Louis Galea said that the building of an entire new block of lecture rooms will provide for the ever increasing demand from students for post-secondary education. Through the FTS, the ministry planned to build new secondary schools to enhance the provision of the educational service. The first new school at Karwija will be welcoming its first students in the coming scholastic year.
Government will soon be taking important decisions on some of the recommendations put forward in the Chalmers report about the funding of higher education and the establishment of a body in charge of the strategic oversight of the post-secondary sector. He also said that the MATSEC Review Board will be presenting his report to him by the end of October.