No parents have taken up the offer of a subsidy for those who cannot afford to send their children to Klabb 3-16 centres, an after-school care service that kicked off at the end of last year, the Education Ministry said.

Nevertheless, the Foundation for Educational Services is still evaluating the possibility of opening more such centres.

The ministry was reacting to comments by Caritas's Marsascala Diaconia Commission, which suggested that having schools open until 6 p.m. could help single mothers, who have no one to take care of their children, to work and earn a living.

While the ministry was rightly investing in education, not enough of its schools were open until late, the commission's chairman, Vince Tonna, said.

The ministry said that, at the moment, two Klabb 3-16 centres - in Fgura and Birkirkara - were being operated against a nominal payment of €1.20 per hour.

Moreover, three childcare centres on the school premises of Luqa, Paola and Għargħur remain open until 5 p.m. to cater for working parents and the ministry is considering extending the opening hours of another three of such centres in Qawra, Birkirkara and Vittoriosa if there is the demand.

Meanwhile, interviews were being conducted to recruit staff for another three childcare centres in Cospicua, Pembroke and Siġġiewi, the ministry said.

Mr Tonna, an experienced social worker, is faced particularly with the problems of Marsascala, which has a substantial number of single mothers, drawn to the town by the concentration of rental apartments, as is the case in areas like Qawra and Buġibba.

He said there were about 47 single mothers on social benefits in the locality, with two to three children to care for. One of the women he looks after is a 27-year-old with five children from three different fathers, who lives in a garage.

Providing childcare facilities that open beyond 1.30 p.m. could give such mothers the break they needed, Mr Tonna insisted, pointing out that the present situation meant they could not hold down a full-time job.