President visits former school

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=100398

The St Gorg Preca Junior Lyceum Secondary School for boys was buzzing with activity yesterday, as the President of Malta paid a courtesy visit to his former school.

George Abela is not the first President to have attended the Hamrun Liceo – President Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici did so as well. Other distinguished personalities who passed their matriculation certificate from the same school include former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, University Rector Peter Serracino Inglott and Archbishop Paul Cremona, OP.

Upon arrival, the President was greeted by members of the Lyceum scout group, and after exchanging pleasantries with a number of the school’s teachers, went on a tour of the three storey high school, occasionally popping his head inside some of the classrooms to mingle with the students and share a joke or two.

The school was first located in Valletta, but shifted to Hamrun after changing premises in 1955. Today it hosts 900 students. Because of the high number, students who pass their Junior Lyceum exams spend the first year of their five-year secondary education period in the school’s sister college in Sliema, before moving to Hamrun to continue their education from Form 2 to Form 5. The school’s chaplaincy is especially well-known by the Maltese public as it is the only one in Malta to have its Eucharistic sacrament permanently blessed inside the tabernacle.

Following the tour, school headmaster Tony Caruana Smith gave the President an explanation of what will happen in the school’s annual three-day fund-raising marathon which will start on 9 April at mid-day and end on 11 April late in the evening.

The marathon will include an arts, science and technology spectacle, with a number of distinguished singers expected to perform throughout the three days. A number of children activities are also planned, while a bar will especially be set up for all those who desire refreshments during the day.

The highlight of the marathon will be reached in the school’s grounds, where a bicycle marathon will also take place. All money generated by the marathon will go towards the Dar Tal-Providenza respite centre.

Dr Abela also visited the Paola primary school, which also forms part of St Gorg Preca College.