Today, Thursday 29 May 2008, marked the first Graduation Day for 265 students, who during this scholastic year attended Year Six in the eleven State primary schools within the Gozo College. This was the first time that the Gozo College has celebrated this important milestone in the students' lives as they prepare for a smoother transition from primary to secondary education. The students proudly donned togas especially sewn for the occasion.

The Gozo Sports Complex, hosted the students, together with their parents and families, in a community event which sought to celebrate the abilities and achievements of all students in accordance with the mission statement of the Gozo College and the philosophy behind the document For All Children to Succeed. This was clearly demonstrated in a programme organised for this occasion, where each school was represented in a performance by its outgoing Year 6 students.

This programme was aptly organised in the spirit of the Gozo College with the co-operation of all Heads of Schools and teachers involved, notably those teaching art, music and drama on a peripatetic basis. The students were all presented with a certificate symbolising the end of the first phase of their educational journey.

On addressing all present the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono praised the initiative taken by the Principal and staff at Gozo College and the on-going collaboration between the Gozo College and the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport with the Ministry for Gozo, for the benefit of the educational system on the island of Gozo. The collective effort of all those involved ensure that Gozitan children are given all the opportunities which enable them to get quality education at all levels in accordance with the first principle of the National Minimum Curriculum.

Minister Debono stated that during the past ten years the Ministry for Gozo, through its Department for Customer Service, co-ordinated several projects in all Government schools in Gozo investing more than Lm1,500,000 (or around �3,500,000) with another Lm1,170,000 (�2,700,000) contribution from the Foundation for Tomorrow's schools. The projects carried out made significant enhancements in all schools including renovation of structural works, sanitary facilities, halls, apertures, lab facilities and other necessary equipment.

Moreover, care has been taken to improve accessibility in schools so as to ensure inclusion of all children at all levels. The Ministry for Gozo intends to continue in its endeavours and support to all schools within the Gozo College in order to further enhance and ameliorate the school environment and quality of teaching and learning in Gozo.

The Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dolores Cristina, who was present for this event said that she was pleased to be present for this occasion whereby all primary schools in Gozo came together to celebrate with their students the passage from one phase to another in their educational life.

She emphasised the importance of the primary level of education which should serve to prepare the students and give them the basic skills that should help them proceed to higher levels of education.

Government has already invested and will continue to invest heavily in education thus offering better opportunities to our students to embark on careers which will guarantee a better future for them and the country.

One of the main aims of Government and which the Ministry of education is committed to see to fruition is that by 2015, Malta will become a Centre of Excellence in the Educational sector. We already have an educational system of a high level which compares favourably to most educational systems in Europe and in some sectors, such as the Information Technology sector, our country is ranked amongst the best, even better than countries which are bigger and more advanced than we are.

Gozitan students know and their parents are aware that this positive trend in education is felt also in Gozo.

Minister Cristina encouraged students to grasp all opportunities that come their way and insisted that government was committed to help those students who choose to continue with their studies at higher levels. It was with this aim that last week, the Ministry of Education launched a new scholarship scheme and renewed another scheme aimed at helping those students who decide to further their education and specialise in particular fields both in Malta and abroad.

The Minister of Education wished every success to the students who will now start another phase in their educational path and appealed to parents to take interest in the educational progress of their children.

The Gozo College intends to make this an annual activity. As explained by Chev. Frank Gatt, Gozo College Principal, such an activity celebrates outgoing primary school students. It would be a community activity based on the respect towards the diverse needs and the multi-intelligencies of each learner in the educational institution's continuous endeavours to ensure that all our children will truly succeed.