Government to take €50 million loan for construction of new schools

A €50 million loan is currently being negotiated by the government to finance the construction of five new schools, education minister Evarist Bartolo said.

Speaking in Parliament, Bartolo explained the government had successfully renegotiated the terms of a previous €70 million loan taken out by the previous administration which was to be paid by the end of the year.

Moreover, Bartolo said that €15m out of the €70 million loan will be used for maintenance of schools.

Speaking on the government's plans to introduce co-ed schools, the education minister pointed oiut that the concept had impinged on the government's plans for new schools and current plans were being re-drawn.

Bartolo also said that the government was looking at opting for smaller schools, with the ideal size being schools which house no more than 500 students. The education minister criticised the size of a number of new colleges inaugurated by the Nationalist administration.

"Some of the new schools built in recent years by the previous administration are not functional as educational buildings," Bartolo said.

He also reiterated the government's plan to open a new primary school in St Paul's bay were the current school hosts up to 800 students, 300 of which are foreign.

"We have to go beyond the fixation that we should do away with older schools," Bartolo said adding that independent schools had approached the government and showed concrete interest in leasing out state schools which could be vacated.