A new primary school in Gozo that should have opened its doors last year will instead welcome its first group of students in 2023, it has emerged.
The decision to build a new primary school in Victoria was announced in the 2015 Budget speech. However, data tabled in Parliament this week showed that there are still some years to go before the school gates open.
Education Minister Owen Bonnici tabled the information in reply to a question by Nationalist Gozo MP Chris Said.
The new Gozo primary school was one of three new schools promised by then Education Minister Evarist Bartolo. Once open, the school is expected to cater for some 500 students.
In recent years, the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools (FTS), a state agency responsible for large capital projects falling under the responsibility of the Education Ministry, has also struggled to complete other schools on time.
Two schools, one in St Paul’s Bay and the other in Marsascala, were also not completed on schedule. The one in Marsascala was inaugurated in February 2019, more than two years late, while the one in St Paul’s Bay is yet to be completed.
The three schools were aimed at better alleviating problems of overcrowding, in light of the increase in the number of people living in the areas.
So, why the delay?
The building of the Gozo school had first encountered problems during the tendering stage, reportedly putting it behind schedule by some two years.
In his reply in Parliament, Dr Bonnici said that the FTS had initially proposed a site that was not scheduled for educational purposes by the Planning Authority.
The FTS then opted to build the new primary school on the same site as the Victoria middle school. According to Dr Bonnici, the FTS has so far spent €173,581 on plans, consultancies and tenders for both sites.
The plans were last year also affected by the discovery of archaeological remains.
In recent years, the state agency made headlines in the wake of allegations of corruption involving an FTS official, Edward Caruana, who was also a canvasser to Mr Bartolo.
How have teachers reacted?
Malta Union of Teachers head Marco Bonnici told Times of Malta: “The MUT’s concerns are that the chosen site is part of the middle school and the delay implies that students and educators will have to suffer the consequences of having construction works going on for even longer.”
Mr Bonnici said students and educators at the old Victoria primary school are already “in a precarious situation” as the premises are “not adequate” and will get worse unless the school is renovated.
“This delay will prolong the inconvenience of all affected,” Mr Bonnici said.