Staff at Church schools will have their children automatically admitted to their work place without having to go through the ballot system as from next year.

Teachers and other staff last month sent a petition to the Curia asking that their children be kept in mind when a decision was made on entry requirements to Church schools. When the petition was publicised in The Times, it sparked heated reactions from many, who complained that the proposal would translate into fewer places for children chosen by ballot.

However, Fr Dominic Scerri, the Archbishop's delegate for education, said a study found it would actually have a minimal impact on the system because, on average, only one student a year would be admitted in each school. He added that the decision to accept the employees' suggestion would also benefit families because parents could be with their children.

The impact will, moreover, be smaller once the capacity of schools is increased as part of an ambitious €20 million expansion project announced officially yesterday. The project, which will start from September next year, will see five schools extending their primary and secondary facilities to accept a further 2,300 students.

In fact, four secondary schools will build a primary, one primary school a secondary and three others will have a senior school. Another school will also add a class to its senior school and three kindergarten classes, making the education process continuous for students.

Over the next four years, vacancies will go up by 400 and after subtracting the places taken by students currently in primary school, it still leaves 200 new places for children chosen by ballot.

The criteria for entry into Church schools will remain the same, bar the new provision for children of staff. Therefore, children who live in Church homes, have special needs and whose sibling already attend a school will be given priority. The rest will be chosen by ballot.

In line with the education reform, primary school students will no longer have to sit for all five common entrance exams, which will be replaced by three and an oral segment for languages.