Minister visits refurbished schools

Minister for Education John Cortes, accompanied by officials from the Department of Education and staff from the schools, has visited three schools that are undergoing extensive renovation works over the summer.

In a statement the Government reiterated that it will refurbish and improve all those school buildings that are not being replaced. It said that work on delivering this commitment has started and is progressing well.

St Mary’s School, which has in the past suffered from water ingress and flooding, is being re-roofed and a new drainage system installed. In addition, extensive rewiring is taking place in order to improve heating during the winter.

In St Joseph’s first and middle schools a number of refurbishments have been carried out to classrooms and toilets, and the guttering in the halls is being totally replaced. New benches are being provided in the playground at the first school.

According to the Government, work is progressing also at St Paul’s where classrooms are being redecorated and redesigned to improve them for teaching and enable better use of space.

Commenting on the works, Dr Cortes said: “This summer has seen tremendous activity in these schools.”

“We made a commitment to teachers that those schools staying in their present locations would be extensively improved and we are keeping this commitment.”

“The programme will continue, and the benefits to teachers and pupils will be very tangible.”

“This unprecedented investment in education will make a huge and important positive difference in the lives of pupils, teachers, staff and parents.”

“We are proud in the GSLP/Liberal alliance to be making this investment with taxpayers’ money into the education of our children,” he said adding: “It's the right way to investment in our future.”

“In the case of each school, we have contingency plans in place in case works are not finished exactly in the time available, which we do not envisage will be the case but which we do have to be prepared for.”