A new public primary school was inaugurated today in Marsaskala by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat after an investment of €6 million.

Minister for Education Evarist Bartolo said that this is the “first construction of a school as a school”, and currently the co-ed education facility houses approximately 300 students, with the potential to accommodate a hundred more.

“If you see the colors, the materials used, that fact that all the water is collected, the lights that are used – it is all thought out specifically for a school.”

An agreement was also reached with the Curia to see an expansion of the school grounds.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister said that this was the sixth school build in the last six years, also noting that upgrades and maintenance is, and has been done on already existing schools all around the island.

Touching on recent reports of violence in schools, the Prime Minister insisted that these are isolated events, and that violence on educators can never be justified. With this, he mentioned the challenges multiculturism has brought to the island, with children from different countries being taught in the same environment. He insisted that way forward was through inclusivity and not creating segregation between children from different nations.

Bartolo also noted that according to a recent report from UNICEF, Malta is second only to Finland in the equitable access to education.

“I am saying this to point out the hard work our educators do, and show that we must respect and support them more for the work that is done in our schools.”