Education Minister Louis Galea yesterday laid the foundation stone for a new hall for St Benedict boys’ secondary school in Kirkop, following the near completion of construction of a sports complex. The hall’s construction phase is expected to be completed by April.

The school opened in 2005, and work on the sports complex started last year. Dr Galea said the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools has various projects in hand involving the building of school halls, including those at Siggiewi, Safi, Marsaxlokk and Mqabba. Other halls have also been modernised, such as at San Gwann, Gzira, Msida, Mellieha and Tarxien.

St Benedict school hall will be three storeys high, including a 900-seat auditorium. It also has dressing rooms, backstage, stores, and changing rooms.

Dr Galea said he was anxious to see the sports complex, hall, library and other facilities at Kirkop completed, creating an environment of education, culture and sports for surrounding communities.