The investment in educational infrastructure continues with a €15 million project dedicated to the extension and extensive renovation of the Qormi San Gorg Primary School within St. Ignatius College, the government said Wednesday.
This project will create modern, accessible, and comfortable educational spaces, providing an environment that is suitable for both students and educators.
Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation Clifton Grima remarked during a visit to the site that this initiative ensures students and teachers spend their time in a setting that meets contemporary standards. The work is being carried out by the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools and involves a complete modernization of the existing two-story building, which was originally constructed in the first half of the 20th century and is now approximately one hundred years old.
As part of the project, a recessed floor is being added to the existing structure to create space for the St. Ignatius College administration. The school will become fully accessible to all and will feature over thirty classrooms, including facilities for kindergarten as well as specialized rooms for art and music. The building will also house a nurture room, multi-sensory rooms, a psycho-social room, and a classroom for Personal, Social, and Career Development. Additionally, the school will include a childcare center and a hall with a separate entrance to be used by the local community after school hours.
The redevelopment includes the school courtyards, which will be surfaced with artificial turf and equipped with specifically designed shaded areas. On a technical level, the project involves replacing old roofs and installing entirely new services, including electricity, water, drainage, CCTV, internet connectivity, alarms, and fire safety systems. Several measures will also be introduced to improve energy efficiency within the building.
To ensure that the school remains operational throughout the construction process, the project is being carried out in phases. Once completed, the new facility will be able to accommodate around 400 children.
Minister Grima concluded by noting that this investment is part of an ongoing national effort, with similar projects currently underway in Mellieha, Naxxar, Birkirkara, and Kercem, Gozo, alongside year-round maintenance across all schools to transform the educational environment at every level.