Primary schoolchildren in Victoria got together this week to turn their school into one big village feast, as a celebration of diversity and to mark the end of the scholastic year.

Organised for the third time, the event aimed to make children better understand the core value of acceptance.

Headmaster Lelio Spiteri, who heads what has been nicknamed the “Happy School”, said young students were told to go to school dressed as if they were attending a village feast band march.

The children were encouraged to wear their respective colours and bring along flags, banners and horns – and all the accessories associated with the festa season.

Most were in full gear on the day, including hats and painted faces.

Mr Spiteri said that the Victoria Primary School, which has around 400 pupils, was the largest primary school in Gozo. The children hail from Victoria and various other towns and villages around the island.

Victoria has two Catholic parishes – one venerating St George and the other the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Miniature statues of Victoria’s and Fontana’s patron saints were carried on the children’s shoulders. March anthems could be heard throughout the celebration, and enthusiasm was sky high.

“We are known as the Happy School because here we do not measure success through exams but the happiness factor of each and every child and them being happy to come to school. The priority is the child’s happiness, not the results,” Mr Spiteri said.

Another frequent event at the school is the keep fit assembly, where students attending the morning gathering end up dancing to popular tunes. The most recent assembly saw a video of children dancing to Gigi D’Agostino going viral.

The keep fit assembly will happen today for the last time this scholastic year.

A DJ has been brought in to provide the entertainment for the students.

Students from the Victoria Primary School enjoying themselves during the festa activity.