Labour spokesman for Education Evarist Bartolo is sticking to his claim that students whose families do not pay the school donation are named during assembly at St Augustine College, despite a flat denial by the school.

In a discussion over the ongoing educational reform on the programme Affari Tagħna, Mr Bartolo challenged Sandro Spiteri, the director of quality assurance in the Education Division, to check whether “there is a school where students who do not give their contribution are mentioned in the morning assembly”.

When the official replied that if that were the case, he would like to be informed, Mr Bartolo said “You should check St Augustine’s”.

Augustinian provincial Fr Manwel Borg Bonello issued a statement yesterday calling the claim a “very serious and false accusation”.

“I inquired about it with the rector himself and members of the college staff. Both categorically rejected such accusation,” Fr Borg Bonello said.

Contacted by The Times, Mr Bartolo said he was sticking to what he said and would be meeting the school’s rector today to discuss the reports which he had received from families “who felt pressured to give money continually to the school”.

“I have no reason to doubt the information I have been given. I will keep information about the parents confidential but unfortunately these things are not made public because those who suffer them, for various reasons, are afraid of saying them in public, even because they fear their children may be impacted negatively,” Mr Bartolo said.

While he did not wish to put all Church schools in one basket, he said he felt there were a number of them that went too far in badgering parents for money, be it through contributions or fundraising activities.

Church schools, being subsidised by the government, do not charge a fee to students but many schools suggest a donation to help in the school’s running. While some leave it up to parents to give, others set a specific amount and remind parents to donate every term.

This year, the government allocated €43.2 million to Church schools.