Preparations for the upcoming scholastic year enter their home stretch this weekend, with more than 7,000 teachers and other educators due to return to state schools on Monday. 

Then, between Wednesday and Monday, October 2, the almost 35,000 students who attend various state schools across the country will reenter classrooms. 

A statement issued by the Education Ministry on Saturday laid out the scale of the annual operation by presenting various figures related to students going back to school: 

• 7,712 state school educators will return on Monday
• 28,757 state school students will return to school on Wednesday
• 5,942 kindergarten students will return on October 2 

A total of 275 new teachers, kindergarten educators and learning support educators have been engaged by state schools for the upcoming scholastic year. Schools have also extended the contracts of a further 566 professionals. 

The ministry also provided data related to free public transport for school children. 

Buses will pick up students along 2,410 different routes, with 925 of those being solely for state school children. In total, 32,833 students ranging from kindergarten age to secondary school will make use of the free bus service. 

Times of Malta reported earlier this week that sixth formers will no longer be allowed to take up vacant seats on school transport heading to their schools. 

Of the 32,833 students who will be using the bus service, 13,774 attend state schools with 19,059 enrolled in Church or independent schools. 

The ministry highlighted a €20 million investment in 12 different infrastructural projects across state schools over the summer months. A further four projects costing a combined total of €53 million remain ongoing, the ministry said. It did not provide details about any of those projects. 

The Education Ministry’s Information Management Unit has completed 57 projects including the installation of interactive flat panels in some classrooms. Education Minister Clifton Grima said a lot of work was done to ensure all state school classrooms will have teachers for every subject, with other efforts focused on improving the state of classrooms. 

“This wasn’t just about infrastructural work, but also about improving classroom technology to improve students’s educational experience,” Grima said.