A virtual primary school will be inaugurated soon, in a first for Malta, Education Minister Owen Bonnici said on Wednesday. 

The school will cater for some 600 students who are vulnerable or who have guardians who are vulnerable. 

Bonnici told Times of Malta that although Malta's schools continue to operate safely despite the COVID-19 pandemic, some students cannot attend class due to health considerations. 

Education authorities estimate that around a quarter of students are not attending school this year, up from around 10% in past years. There are some 600 students who have vulnerabilities. 

What is a virtual school?

Education Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri told Times of Malta the school will operate like any other, with students having to be enrolled in it, as they would at any other school.

"We have been working on this for some time and we hope to have a soft launch in the coming days. This way, those who really cannot make it to school in person, will still get the full experience," Fabri said. 

Some 25 teachers have been roped in, he said, and full timetables have been set. This means students will be following lessons as though they were in school. 

Homework and other assignments will be handed out virtually, with teachers also returning any corrected work via online platforms. 

Eligible students must provide official documentation to prove they, or their relatives, are vulnerable, Fabri said. He insisted in-person schools are still safe and the government's position on reopening them still stands. 

"We just wanted to make sure that those with vulnerabilities are not left behind in any way," he said. 

The initiative is being implemented together with the Malta Union of Teachers. In a statement, the union said the move shows the MUT is not against online learning and that when properly planned, teachers' working conditions are not impacted.