Parents see safety reports after ceiling debris falls on performing art students
Minister presents engineer and architect certifications during meeting
Parents of students at the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School have confirmed they were shown reports certifying a school hall as safe after ceiling debris fell on students earlier this month.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the parents said that during a “cordial and positive” meeting with Education Minister Clifton Grima and Permanent Secretary Matthew Vella, they were presented with two professional reports.
“In this meeting, we were shown two separate reports signed by an engineer and an architect certifying the hall of the Mikiel Anton Vassalli College (MAVC), which is being used by MVPA students, as safe and fit for use,” the parents said.
The incident occurred earlier this month when debris fell from the ceiling onto dance students practising in the hall.
Although the students attend the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School (MVPA), they were using the Mikiel Anton Vassalli College hall because the MVPA hall requires extensive refurbishment.
Following the incident, the Education Ministry carried out immediate repairs and embellishment works in the hall.
In the aftermath, parents requested access to the architect’s report certifying the hall as fit for use and called for further long-term investment in the MVPA.
An agreement was also reached for MVPA students to be given precedence in the use of the MAVC hall during school hours, in which an investment of more than €300,000 has been made since the incident, parents said.
They continued to stress the need for the MVPA to have its own “theatre and professional facilities suitable for our children's education”.
The parents said the minister had also promised that a long-term educational and investment plan would be released for consultation in the coming months.
It was also confirmed that communication between parents, the school and the education authorities would remain open.
The school recently drew public attention after a young pupil questioned the Prime Minister during an appearance on ONE, asking why his performing arts school did not have a theatre where students could stage performances.
Parents said the boy’s remarks echoed years of appeals for a dedicated theatre at the school, which opened in 2018 as a specialised secondary institution focusing on media, music, art, dance and drama.