Public consultation on potential new college line-ups launched

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo today launched a public consultation on the new college line-ups and school uniforms. Any potential changes will however come into force during the 2014/2015 scholastic year.

Addressing a press conference, Bartolo said the need to change college line-up was based on the principle of equity and to help in the college socio-economic profile and numbers.

Current figures show inequality among the 10 colleges which together provide for 31,221 students. The discrepancy in colleges is huge: St Nicholas College caters for 1,845 students while Maria Regina College caters for 4,266 students.

The education department is now mulling the idea to reshuffle students in order to bring closer the numbers of students in the different colleges.

Bartolo however admitted that internal feedback received so far opposed any changes to the college system.

"There isn't much enthusiasm for colleges to change and the reaction so far is for things to remain as they are," he said. Bartolo went on to add that any final decision to be taken would be based on the outcome of the public consultation.

The consultation will also include school uniforms: parents will be asked whether they prefer the current uniforms, whether they want simpler uniforms or remove them all together.

Bartolo said parents still worried over the "high prices" of school uniforms and feedback received so far called for the simplification of uniforms.

On empty school buildings, the education minister said the government was thinking of passing on the property to the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools (FTS) as their assets.

"The selling of the empty property could help FTS to finance new schools and the maintenance of existing ones," Bartolo said.

The public is urged to contribute to the public consultation through [email protected] for feedback ont he new college line-up and on [email protected] for feedback on school uniforms.