Finance Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech (photo), told students at Stella Maris primary school in Balzan that students in Malta were living a historic moment which they would remember for a long time.

He was referring to the changeover to the European currency, and addressed the students after following lessons they were being given relating to the changeover. The National Euro Changeover Committee has given particular importance to students, he said, and tools have been created to help children and young people.

Mr Fenech said students had not only the duty to learn and understand what the euro was, but also the responsibility to pass on their knowledge to the family, friends and others.

NECC chairman Joe F.X. Zahra said that over the last weeks some 19,000 wallets had been distributed to students with plastic money and not genuine euro notes. Teachers were also being provided with sets of euro coins and plastic notes to train the students.

Alan Camilleri, executive director of the NECC, explained the initiatives the NECC had taken in the educational sector.