Part of ceiling falls during lesson at Performing Arts School

Part of the ceiling at the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School fell while students were attending a class on Wednesday.

Sources close to the school confirmed fragments of masonry from the ceiling above students fell during a dance lesson. The extent of the damage and the amount of material that fell remain unclear.

“This was a long time coming,” one parent told Times of Malta. The parent said that, fortunately, no one was hurt.

A spokesperson for the Education Ministry also confirmed that no one was injured. 

The incident is understood to have taken place in a space near the MVPA itself.

Students of MVPA attend a number of classes outside the school itself due to a lack of facilities. The incident happened in a hall in another building within the same grounds used by MVPA during a lesson attended by performing arts students.

The Education Ministry said that the matter was "adressed immediately". 

"As soon as the matter was reported, the ministry engaged qualified professionals to carry out the necessary inspections and certification. Following these assessments, the hall has been confirmed to be safe for use."

They also confirmed that the hall will be available for use by students and staff as of next week.

"The safety and wellbeing of students and educators remain the ministry’s top priority, and all necessary steps were taken promptly to ensure this," the ministry said. 

In a statement issued after the incident, the Nationalist Party said the situation could have been far worse.

“The PN is calling on government to take the education of our children more seriously and to invest public funds so that our educational buildings – whatever they may be – are properly maintained, rather than being left in a state of neglect that can endanger the safety of our students and educators.”

The party also questioned whether the government was waiting for a student or educator to be seriously injured before taking the necessary action.

It said the incident reflected what it described as the government’s attitude towards art, culture and investment in art schools.

The school had recently attracted 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 in which to stage performances.

Parents of MVPA pupils said the boy’s remarks echoed years of appeals for a theatre at the school, which opened in 2018 as a specialised secondary institution focusing on media, music, art, dance and drama.

Parents who spoke to Times of Malta on condition of anonymity said the school initially had a hall and a stage, but both were in poor condition. They said the stage was considered unsafe and unsuitable for student use. Since then, the school has had to use alternative venues for events, including facilities at other schools, the Chamber of Commerce and Auberge d’Aragon.

Some parents also claimed that construction works on the school hall began shortly before the 2022 general election but were later halted and have not resumed.