Around forty students attending one of Gozo’s ten Summer Schools visited the Ggantija Temples this morning, the visit is part of the educational tours which Heritage Malta is organising for students attending summer school in Gozo this year. The tours provide the children with the unique opportunity to participate in archaeological excavations, whilst also having fun and learning how to work as a team.

The children spent the morning excavating bones and figurines from the soil at an excavation set up by Heritage Malta, the same opportunity will be given to other students attending all ten Summer Schools in Gozo.

There are altogether 500 children attending Summer School this year in ten centres, some located at primary schools within the Gozo College, other centres are based within the Don Bosco Oratory and the Arka Respite Centre. The children are able to expand their skills in relation to arts, crafts, singing, music, dance and drama, while learning more about the protection of health, protection of the environment and animals, protection of cultural heritage, the prevention against abuse, inclusive learning, computer and tourism.

They are also participate in sporting, cultural and educational outings and in exchanges with students attending Skola Sajf in Malta. A popular activity taking place between students from each centre is the general knowledge quiz, enabling the children to learn whilst having fun.

73 children from the second and third year of primary school are also attending four centres in Gozo, located in Victoria, Xaghra, Xewkija and Sannat. The purpose of their programme is to strengthen the ability of these students in the fields of reading, writing and dialogue, in both Maltese and English.

The Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, met with the children at Ggantija today, she urged the children to learn more about the history of our country, whilst also recognising and appreciating the cultural heritage of our islands. She went on to praise the initiative of Heritage Malta in these activities, as well as the work done on the building of a new Visitors’ Centre. Minister Debono said that the Ministry for Gozo works in close collaboration with Heritage Malta in Gozo to adequately protect the historic heritage of Gozo.

The Gozo Summer Schools opened earlier this month and are expected to run until the first week of September.