Four more state colleges to function from Monday

Four new colleges, bringing together primary and secondary schools into a school network, will start operating on Monday.

These will bring to seven the number of public colleges. Another three are expected to start operating in the near future.

The colleges aim to improve the transition of pupils from the feeder primary into the secondary schools that form part of each school network. They also aim to allow the schools which form part of a college to work together in an autonomous way.

Pupils attending the Floriana, Hamrun, Marsa, Paola, Pieta' and Valletta primary schools will move on to Dun Guzepp Brighella, Hamrun; Francis X, Attard, Marsa; Lorenzo Manche, Floriana; and Maria Assumpta, Hamrun, secondary schools.

Those attending primary schools in Luqa, Qormi, Siggiewi and Zebbug will move to Dun Karm Psaila, Zebbug; Guze' Galea, Qormi; Mikiel Anton Vassalli, Tal-Handaq, and Maria Regina, Blata l-Bajda. Pupils attending primary schools in Gzira, Pembroke, San Gwann, St Julians and Sliema will continue their education at Antonio Bosio, Gzira; Sir Adrian Dingli, St Patrick, and Sir Luigi Preziosi, St Andrew's.

The fourth college is made up of the primary schools of Gharghur, Mellieha, Mosta, Naxxar and St Paul's Bay together with the Naxxar Boys Secondary and Lily of the Valley, Mosta.

During a meeting for heads of schools yesterday, Education Minister Louis Galea announced the names of the new college coordinators. He explained that every college is managed by a principal together with a council made up of the heads of all the schools in the college structure.

Dr Galea said preparations were underway to set up two directorates which would take over the functions of the Education Division.

Speaking about behaviour in schools, he said the ministry believes the first responsibility for behaviour lies with parents while the school holds the second responsibility.

The policy for good behaviour and discipline in schools explains how each school should act to ensure good behaviour and discipline if the former fails.

Dr Galea said schools should give importance to absenteeism and insist on a policy for healthy food and drinks. Every head of school should make sure that school tuck shops are abiding by this policy and in cases when they are not, contracts should be terminated.