Beautiful more than controversial

Church schools have covered a lot of ground since the hard days of the 1980s. During that particularly tense period between the Church and the Labour government the very existence of Church schools was put in doubt. An agreement of sorts was made with that same government but the matter was definitively settled when the Nationalist administration was elected in 1987. That agreement was followed by expansion in the sector which did not mean the end of all challenges, controversies and problems.

The role of the Church in the educational sector of a society which is becoming more pluralised and more secularised is not an easy one. The Church has to refine its vision to answer the ever important question: What service can Church schools give in such a society? How can Church schools be distinct while forming part of a general regulatory framework covering all schools? Should there be an option in favour of certain sectors of the population? How does one balance the different needs e.g. the financial with the pastoral/educational role?

The Church in Malta took on the challenge earnestly and creatively.

The Church was very proactive in the last decade during which our educational system was re-organised. The elimination of the 11+ exam was a great step forward. This radical reform did justice to our children who are now free of the great tension that the exam caused. It is a fair reform as children are given more time to develop their talents.

The reform meant that children entering a primary school could keep on progressing in the system till the last class of the secondary system. As a result some Church schools were amalgamated while others had to expand their buildings. Such expansions sometimes met with problems. Planning problems dogged down for now the plans of the administration of St Augustine's school in Pieta. The possibility of using the old Medical School to cater for the need of St Augustine is being studied. One hopes that this example of lateral thinking at its best will bear fruit.

The expansion of the Seminary was embarked with earnest. Some residents, as is their right, protested stating that the expansion of the school would create, among others, parking problems. The plans were eventually approved and the project was ready in record time.

A state of the art primary school with an investment of €8 was officially recently inaugurated by Archbishop Paul Cremona. The project spans 9,000 square metres, includes 24 classrooms, an indoor play hall, a music room, labs and an auditorium as well as a care centre for the employees' children. It is equipped with interactive white boards, Wi-Fi connectivity and environmentally-friendly features, such as intelligent lighting, insulation and solar heating. Moreover it is tastefully and effectively constructed. The chapel is a work of art.

The physical environment is a clear sign of the deep commitment of the Church to keep on providing a holistic education based on good practice and continuous development. The reputation of the Seminary as a very good secondary schools will now be paralleled by the reputation that it is also a good primary school.

Some media coverage preferred to from reportage within the framework of the controversy thus considering the school as a controversial one. I believe that when everything is taken in context the contribution that the school will give, will by far out do any disadvantages it may have created. More than a controversial school it is a beautiful school. It is another initiative in the very long initiatives of service that the Church has rendered and will continue rendering our people.