The Ħamrun secondary school has been in the news for the wrong reasons, but its head, Doriann Portanier Mifsud, tells Kurt Sansone there is a brighter side to the bleak picture that has been painted.

The colourful corridors at the Ħamrun secondary school are lit up by the afternoon sun shining through the glass facade in the foyer.

As I step inside my childhood school, it feels warmer and brighter than how I left it 25 years ago, when it was one of a handful of boys’ junior lyceums. Only last week, the school was described by the Malta Union of Teachers as a “ghetto school” following complaints on the behaviour of certain students. The union even threatened a strike.

The development came on the back of another controversy last year. A female student alleged abuse by a teacher and several male students. The case remains under police investigation, with no charges in court yet.

The school, part of San Ġorġ Preca College, houses some 360 students from Form 3 to Form 5, but the complement is expected to almost double in the years ahead. Co-education of boys and girls started this scholastic year at Form 3 level.

When I arrive, it is just after 2.30pm, and the students have already left the building. I ask for the headmistress’s office and am directed towards a room next to the foyer.

Contrary to my time at the school, the office is now at the heart of the building, in plain view of the students present in the corridors and not hidden away in a part of the block we used to consider off limits.

The acting headmistress, Doriann Portanier Mifsud, welcomes me. The college principal, James Camilleri, and the director general of education, Maria McNamara, accompany her.

Above the sofa where we are seated is a wall of certificates showing the school’s achievements in various educational programmes.

We exchange niceties, but it is evident from the body language and tone of voice that the word ‘ghetto’ emblazoned on newspapers and web portals has hurt many people here.

Ms Portanier Mifsud opens up: “It is unjust to call this school a ghetto, and my deepest hurt is when students come to me frustrated with the negative image that has been cast on the school.” It is unfair on the vast majority of students, who go about their daily routines with few or no problems, she adds.

“We do have students with challenging behaviour, but they are few and no different from the experiences I have had in other schools in different parts of Malta,” she says.

Ms McNamara interjects. In her previous roles as headmistress and principal, she experienced the different forms of social poverty that can give rise to challenging behaviour, especially during the teenage years.

“These realities can be found everywhere, but last week we moved nine children out of this school to be able to give them dedicated support through other programmes outside the school,” Ms McNamara says.

The decision, she adds, follows a series of other interventions at school level, such as guidance and participation in learning-support zones (where students gather in small groups and receive tailor-made support), which, however, may have not been enough.

My deepest hurt is when students come to me frustrated with the negative image that has been cast on the school

Mr Camilleri intervenes. He acknowledges the Ħamrun school has what he describes as its “particular realities”. Some children experience poverty and deprivation, he adds.

“These students are individuals who come to us with personal life stories that are heart-wrenching. Some of these children come from complex realities, and it takes patience to get to them,” Mr Camilleri explains.

As we speak, coffee is delivered to the table. The headmistress opens her laptop and clicks on a folder of photos of school activities. She also leafs through notes she has prepared for this meeting.

Ms Portanier Mifsud says that the challenges she sees at her school are no different from those she has experienced elsewhere. “And I have not been at what some would consider to be ‘easy’ schools.”

She took the helm at the Ħamrun secondary in July 2015 and kick-started a programme to physically rehabilitate the school. Colourful walls, windows along the corridors on the upper floors to shield them from the elements, the removal of teacher platforms in classrooms, new desks and chairs and improving the library are only a few of the changes the school has undergone over the past year and a half.

An architect pops into the head’s office to explain the available options for building a bridge on the upper floor to connect the two wings of the building.

“When I was a teacher, what used to bother me was when children complained that their school seemed like a prison, and that is something I wanted to change because having a welcoming physical environment is important,” Ms Portanier Mifsud says.

But it is not just the physical appearance of the school she is concerned with. It has various teacher committees that come up with suggestions, including one to award students with merit certificates, which are distributed during the morning assembly.

The school participates in the EkoSkola programme, which fosters environmental awareness among students. And this year’s target is to achieve the Green Flag.

“We have students working with teachers to produce short video clips and a recipe book as they combine healthy eating with environmental awareness,” Ms Portanier Mifsud says enthusiastically.

As she goes through the list of initiatives, I ask about discipline at the school, which is what prompted the MUT’s outburst, and the case of alleged abuse last year.

The three interviewees refrain from talking about the case of the female student. Mr Camilleri tells me there is an ongoing police investigation and magisterial inquiry. “If we receive any information or additional reports, we advise the educational authorities as we are obliged to do and refer the individuals to the police inspector working on the case,” he says.

As for discipline, Ms Portanier Mifsud argues that students do face consequences when they step out of line.

“It is not acceptable for a student to shout at a teacher, but it is also important to speak to students, understand them, show them love and respect, while making sure the rules are clear,” she says.

She notes that the school finds ample cooperation from parents when they are called in because disciplinary action has to be taken against their children. But these cases are in the minority, she insists.

Mr Camilleri says teaching is a taxing job. “We understand the frustration teachers may feel, because we also worked in a classroom, but we also have to keep in mind that we are the adults when confronted by students with challenging behaviour.”

Ms McNamara points out that it is widely accepted that different children learn in different ways. But likewise, she says, teachers also have to learn how to teach in different ways, which can be a source of frustration.

Ms Portanier Mifsud nods. “I cannot forget what it means to be a teacher, but I also cannot forget what it means to be a student,” the headmistress says.

In her eyes, it should be obvious that she is concerned about the impact the bad press has had on her students. She is not oblivious to the problems, but she is also frustrated because there is a lot of good being done by teachers and students that slips under the radar.

Her emphasis on “love and respect” may sound utopian, but she insists a positive attitude is more likely to elicit cooperation.

“It is important that staff members, students and parents pull at the same end of the rope. What should motivate us is the best interest of the children we care for.”

We have been in the office for over an hour, and as I walk out of the building, I cannot help but reminisce about my time at the school.

The trees at the front are still there. I smile as I recall the numerous incidents when chairs were thrown out of the top-floor windows only to end up stuck in these same trees.

Notoriety is not a modern-day phenomenon. The difference is that in the Facebook age, a ‘problem’ gets more publicity from an audience that shares, clicks and comments. And that is an added headache for teachers, students and parents alike.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com