“We must look forward to continue to strengthen the educational services through our national policy for the early years we have just launched, but now we have also reached another stage, which is under discussion – to expand the services provided by the Foundation for Educational Services (FES) by increasing the hours and days during which these services are offered”, stated Minister for Education Justyne Caruana, while presiding over a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the Foundation.
“Twenty years of work, twenty years of success that thanks to the work of the Foundation has not only provided quality education to our children, but we have also been supporting our families. And as now as the working schedule has changed due to the changes in the lives of our families, we also need to be there to continue to support our families and our children”, said the minister.
The ceremony took place on the anniversary of the founding of the Foundation, which took place 20 years ago – 20 years during which thousands of children, students and their families benefited from the services offered by the staff and all sections of the Foundation. Since its inception the FES has been vital for the local education sector, not only due to its valuable contribution, but also due to the number of services it offers. At the forefront are free childcare services, Klabb 3-16, and SkolaSajf, as well as other services provided in coordination with other ministries, including the services of a dedicated team of paediatric specialists who provide extensive assistance to the FES.
Minister Caruana praised the way the Foundation took up the challenges the country faced which were brought about by the pandemic and was at the forefront in providing its services for the benefit of the whole country.
The minister also spoke about the government’s commitment to education and mentioned how the Foundation’s budget has increased by about 40% between 2018 and 2021, while in the same period there was also a further 35% increase in the budget for Klabb 3-16, amounting to €5 million this year.
Minister Caruana said that the history of the FES is a rich one with impressive statistics, and said that it will continue building on the achievements made over the course of these 20 years so that it will continue to strengthen the educational journey of our children for generations to come.
At the end of the ceremony mementoes were given to employees who have been in employment for more than 10 years. This occasion was also addressed by FES Chairperson Pamela Schembri and Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri.
