Aidan Tabone diligently films his friend making use of a tablet in the newly launched virtual classroom at Valletta’s St Elmo Primary School. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Little Aidan Tabone squeezed his way through the students and adults assembled at Valletta’s St Elmo Primary School, eagerly filming the inauguration of his school’s virtual classroom with a small, hand-held camera.

“I was very excited with our new virtual classroom,” the 10-year-old told Times of Malta.

“My teacher asked me to film the event. I will then edit it using the equipment in the classroom and send it to Save a Life Foundation so that they can put it on their website,” he said proudly.

Thanks to Save a Life Foundation, one classroom was completely revamped and transformed into a virtual classroom to be used by Aidan and the other 173 students who attend the primary school to help hone their digital literacy skills.

The classroom walls were painted a striking blue and green while parquet flooring was fitted, together with comfortable bean bags.

If the project impacts the career of at least one boy or girl, then our aim is fulfilled

The classroom is equipped with one-to-one computing tablets for children, an interactive whiteboard, a flat screen television, a full digital audio-visual set-up and educational software. Teachers were also given training.

The foundation’s chairman, Nationalist MP Claudio Grech, said the project was the first dream conceived by the foundation which was turned into reality.

He explained that the tools available will not substitute traditional learning but will help hone the children’s creative skills and digital literacy.

The project cost some €14,000. Mr Grech said he fed his honoraria into the foundation, citing the project as an investment.

He himself hailed from Valletta, adding that, unfortunately, children from the capital tended to be labelled somewhat negatively.

“If the project impacts the career of at least one boy or girl, then our aim is fulfilled,” he said.

School headmaster Bernardo Riolo explained that the classroom will help change the lessons from being teacher-centred to being more student-centred, with students being given the freedom to create and evaluate under their teacher’s guidance.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the project was an excellent example of a public-social partnership, which saw the collaboration of an NGO with a governmental entity.

She stressed the importance of updating tools and of instilling creativity and innovation in children.

The next step, she continued, was to work on prevention by engaging specialists such as play therapists to address a child’s difficulties before his or her situation deteriorated further.