Twenty-two students from the boys' secondary school in Sta Venera walked to the Education Ministry in Floriana yesterday to protest over plans to close down their school, the former Umberto Calosso, in October.

Education Minister Dolores Cristina found the students outside her ministry and invited five of them into her office where she explained they would be transferred to other schools where the environment was better.

She said Umberto Calosso had originally been built to serve as a brewery and was unsuitable as a modern school.

Mrs Cristina assured the students they would remain together in their respective classes. Next week, they will be taken on familiarisation trips to the schools where they would be transferred in October.

The process will also be explained in meetings for parents.

Teachers and staff in the Sta Venera school have been invited to say where they prefer to work from the next scholastic year.

Mrs Cristina also told the students it would have been better had they requested the meeting before holding the protest.

The students were then returned to school in transport provided by the ministry.

The ministry denied the old school would become a centre for illegal migrants.