A network of learning

The policy document themed For All Children To Succeed focuses on the education reform being piloted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment this scholastic year. St Benedict's College is one of the four pilot projects in this reform. The college includes a number of primary schools and a secondary school networked together so as to ensure the best possible quality education for students attending the Birzebbuga, Ghaxaq, Gudja, Kirkop, Mqabba, Safi, Qrendi and Zurrieq primary schools and St Benedict's College Boys' Secondary, in Kirkop.

One might ask: Why colleges? Why networks?

Working in isolation may have been appropriate in the past but in our globalised world, there is need to work and learn as a team, to network in order to be successful in an environment that values competitiveness and social inclusion.

The college is structured in a way that children will still attend the primary school in their town or village. Each school will still have its head, its teachers, its other staff and its premises. In St Benedict's College, the boys coming from the primary schools will all proceed to St Benedict's College Boys' Secondary, in Kirkop. Shortly, girls will also have their own secondary school.

The new boys' secondary school, which will be inaugurated today, is another project by the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools.

St Benedict's College Boys' Secondary School opened its doors for the first group of students last September. Both the boys who passed the Junior Lyceum examination and those in the general secondary stream attend St Benedict's College Boys' Secondary. This scholastic year, it has been noted that the boys have worked very well together irrespective of whether they belong to the Junior Lyceum stream or not. In fact, boys from the Junior Lyceum classes and secondary school classes are set together for 25 per cent of their learning entitlement.

A group of students who excelled in maths at their Junior Lyceum exam but did not make it in another subject are still following the Junior Lyceum syllabus for maths. At the same time, alternative programmes and basic skills programmes in Maltese, English, maths, physics and Italian have been designed for students who need them. In this way, it is being ascertained that all students will be registering progress to the best of their capabilities.

The setting up of the colleges provides schools with the required space and empowerment to make decisions and develop their syllabi as laid down by the National Curriculum but also according to the needs and potential of students.

Another important objective of the college system is to ensure a smoother flow from one level of education to another. In this respect, the college counsellor and guidance teachers have devised a programme that is being put into practice. All Year 6 boys attending the primary schools of St Benedict's College and their parents have already visited the secondary school and were addressed by the college counsellor and the head of school. In a second phase of this exercise, primary Year 6 boys will come to the secondary school to spend a few hours to get a taste of life there.

The chief characteristic of the college system is the value and importance given to networking. The schools forming part of St Benedict's College are exploring and developing ways of working together in mutually supportive ways, using the diversity within and across the schools as a positive force for knowledge sharing and innovation. At St Benedict's, schools work in partnership to enhance staff professional development, which, in turn, enhances the quality of pupil learning. To this end, heads of school have been regularly meeting the college coordinator in the council of heads meetings during which they discuss new teaching methodologies, share good practices and discuss administrative challenges.

Discussion and collaborative meetings for college primary school teachers who teach the same year group have also been held. These have materialised in various group projects that will surely be of benefit to the pupils at classroom level.

Other activities by St Benedict's College include a sport miniathlon for pupils of the college primary schools; subscription of all schools in the EcoSkola project where, by next year, the college hopes to have the Green Flag flying on the roof of one of its primary schools; in-service training for all college staff this September; meetings for parents and activities organised by the Foundation for Educational Services for both students and parents.

St Benedict's College sees parents as partners in this experience and, as such, provides opportunities for them both to engage in their child's educational journey and also to enhance their own lifelong learning process.

Working Smarter Together Rather Than Harder Alone is the underlying motto of the schools belonging to St Benedict's College.

Ms Sciortino is coordinator of St Benedict's College