School of Music to be overhauled

The Johann Strauss School of Music in Valletta is to be overhauled and temporarily relocated to a number of different centres in a move that has taken its teachers by surprise.

The Education Ministry said the temporary centres would be located in Valletta and other localities but it did not say where or how many would be needed.

It stressed that this did not mean the school was closing down. Although the move is temporary, however, there is no set timeframe to return to the old premises in Old Bakery Street.

The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference on lifelong learning, where Education Minister Dolores Cristina also spoke of plans for an outreach programme by the school, which would go “into the community” in a bid to make music “more accessible for everyone”.

The restoration of the school’s premises, parts of which are closed off for safety reasons, is something that has long been desired by staff. But teachers yesterday said they had not been given any prior notice of the move and had not been consulted on the outreach programme.

Acting head Monica Bugeja told The Times she had been informed of the reforms but only after the decisions had already been taken. The teachers, she said, had been airing their concerns over the state of the building for at least five years and they agreed the school needed an overhaul. But they were only yesterday informed of the decision to transfer the school and of the outreach programme.

“We’re assuming they’re going to find an alternative place; we want a proper school of music. What seems to have happened is they did not find an alternative building to host all the lessons and have now come up with this proposal,” she said.

She has reservations about the impact the move will have on students. She said students have generally managed to combine their practical lesson with the theory lesson, attending both on the same day so they would only have to visit the school once a week. This arrangement might now be compromised if the classes were held in two different buildings in different villages.

“We can foresee problems. With one institution, you have contact with students, parents and you know their problems. This will be more difficult if we’re spread out in different schools,” said the acting head, who will be based at the Lifelong Learning Institute’s offices in Msida.

“We’re in favour of the outreach concept. But I don’t think the School of Music should have been used for it. The two projects should be treated separately.”

Ms Cristina said the move had been discussed with the Malta Union of Teachers and the teachers would be consulted once the applications for the courses, which close on September 3, were all in.

When contacted, MUT president John Bencini said the union was only consulted after the decision was taken and it could only offer a limited number of suggestions, such as trying to limit the splitting up of the main school.

Members of the administration were visibly confused and irate about the minister’s announcement but some of the initial confusion was ironed out in a meeting held later in the day.

Godfrey Mifsud, a teacher, said he was concerned the move would reduce contact between teachers and students as well as hinder the team spirit between members of the academic staff.

Any works within the building will be subject to a full development permit from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. “Any restoration or alterations within any building in Valletta requires a full development application supported by a Restoration Method Statement,” a Mepa spokesman said.

“Mepa’s Structure Plan and Local Plan policies encourage the restoration and re-adaptive use of historic buildings within all urban conservation areas such as Valletta, which is also a World Heritage Site, hence the need for all to adopt the precautionary principle to submit an application for restoration and alterations within heritage buildings.”