When the first school assembly is held in September 2024 at the Mediterranean College of Sport in Birkirkara it will not only mark Vassallo Group’s official introduction into secondary and sixth form education, but it will also be the first day of a revolutionary form of education, at least for Malta.
“When I was a student, the school I attended stopped any form of physical exercise at Form 3,” recounts Mariuccia Fenech the newly-appointed head of school at MCS. Now, students are no longer forced to make a choice between sports and education. “The main difference is that MCS will offer both academic education and sports on an equal level.” With two football pitches, athletics track and swimming pool on site, MCS offers training in football, athletics, swimming, waterpolo and artistic swimming, alongside the full school curriculum.
The independent school is both a secondary and sixth form college catering for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 years. It will initially open with around 100 to 140 students in years 7, 8 and 9 and lower sixth form, and will grow slowly over the following five years to a maximum population of 270 students in secondary school and 60 in sixth form. “Our intention is not to be a big school. We want to emphasise quality over quantity. Such a specialised school needs to be very individualised.” The college will adopt an inquiry-based teaching and learning approach and the timetable will follow a managed pace to ensure students can keep up with their training and class work.
“Our idea is to ensure our student athletes will grow into adults who have the ability to take up a dual career or have the necessary capabilities to choose their path with an open mind.” This innovative teaching approach demanded an equally innovative and rigorous recruitment process of teachers who share this teaching philosophy “and, importantly, have the right attitude”. Parents of prospective students have been intrigued by the college. “They ask a lot about how we plan to juggle the curriculum, the level of staff and what guarantees can they have that their child would fit in after being uprooted from another school.”
Will the college spawn a new Olympic star? “For me the best measure of success is if I see my students grow into adults who can live a good satisfying life, whatever the path they take. It is important to be realistic. They should be the best they can be, both at school and in sports. That is the aim of this college.”