St Edward's to open kindergarten

On the 78th anniversary of its foundation, St Edward's College in Vittoriosa launched a co-educational kindergarten that should be operational by September.

The desire for a St Edward's Kindergarten has been felt for some time, and following discussions it was agreed that the time was ripe to extend the college foundations, said its headmaster Anthony Saliba.

Works should commence shortly to convert existing premises into bright and airy classrooms designed to accommodate three- to five-year-olds, allowing them to benefit from the extensive college grounds and open spaces for outdoor activity, he said.

St Edward's Kindergarten aims to welcome both boys and girls from the age of three.

The mission of the college is to provide an education based on the English public school system within a Catholic environment.

Having its own kindergarten would mean offering an environment for young Edwardians to grow and develop, moving slowly and confidently through the whole educational system until they emerge ready to face the challenges of the modern world and being proud to have attended St Edward's College, said the chairman of the board of governors, Alfred Mangion.

Feedback regarding times (currently 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.) and transport issues from parents of prospective kindergarten pupils - particularly those who had children in other schools, and siblings already at the college - and any other teething problems would be taken into account, the board of governors said in response to questions as to why they should consider uprooting their children from other accredited feeder kindergartens.

Depending on demand, the board would be considering flexible hours at additional costs to suit the needs of parents who had older children already at college, although the board was of the opinion that kids of such a young age should not be away from home for long stretches, with commuting time further extending that.

Application forms for the kindergarten are available from the office of the headmaster's secretary from Monday, while a complete prospectus, with details of the curriculum, was in the making.

Fees for Kindergarten I, which should be catering for around 15 children, are Lm150 a term, and Lm175 for Kindergarten II, which should accommodate not more than 20 children.