STRASBOURG -MALTA

Quand les Maltais sont venus à Sainte Clotilde, nous leur avons soumis un questionnaire concernant leur système scolaire, que nous avions élaboré en classe. Voici une photo du De La Salle college situé à Vittoriosa.

Our questionnaire about the Maltese school system

1. Your school's name is De la Salle College, so who is it named after ? can you tell us who he was ?

It is named after Jean baptiste De La Salle, a French priest, who dedicated his life to educating poor children all over the world;

2. We've been told that the Maltese school system was based on the British school system so is your school a public or a state school ?

In Malta, we've got 3 different types of schools : 1. Church schools; 2. Government or state schools; 3. Private schools. Our school is a Church school.

3. Do you get any financial help from the Maltese government to study ?

At the start of each year in Sixth Form (equivalent of Premières and Terminales in France), we get 230 Euro on a card to buy books. Then, every month, we get 85 Euro to study regardless of our marks. Yet, if we played truant, they could remove this grant called STIPEND. Anyway, it's a real motivation to study ! When we enter the University, we  even get more money !

4. Have you got a dress code ? What do you think of wearing a school uniform everyday?

We used to wear a school uniform in previous years but not in Sixth form anymore. Mark said he hated wearing a uniform because he had to wear the same clothes over and over again.

5. Is your school co-educational ?

From 6 to 15 : Boys/Girls only ; over 16 : mixed

6. Is your school a boarding school ? if yes, how many pupils stay at school overnight?

No, it no longer is but it used to be.

7. Can you take part in extra- curricular activities in your school ? Can you name some of them ?

Lasalian Nights consist in performing, during a week-end, dances, plays and music in order to raise money for the school and graduation day.

Young Enterprise project allows some students (mainly studying economics) to create and manage their own business; there is a competition between Maltese schools and the winner represents Malta in an European competition.

8. how do you usually get to school ? By bus, on foot ?

It depends where you live. Most pupils take the bus.

9. What year are you in ?

We are in Sixth Form which is divided into 2 years : 1st year (equivalent of French Premières) and 2nd year (equivalent of Terminale). in Sixth Form, there are 200 pupils.

10. How many classes have you got in a day ?

7 classes

11. At what time do you usually start school in the morning ? And at what time do you usually finish school in the afternoon ?

School starts at 8:00 and finishes at 2:30

12. Have you got school on Wednesdays ? If yes, have you got a day off ?

we go to school from Monday to Friday.

13. Do you have a school prefect or a form captain who represents the other students or helps in the running of the school ? if yes, what does he/she do ?

We have a student council. Each student votes to elect those who will be members of the Council in order to organize parties, barbecues, the Carnival and Lasalian Nights.

14. Can you list the subjects which are compulsory in your year ? What about optional subjects ?

Compulsory subjects : Physical Education/System of Knowledge/ Art/ Science/ Maths/ English / Maltese

Optional Subjects : Whatever we want among Philosophy/languages/Sociology

There are 2 subjects at Advanced level and 6 at Intermediate.

15. What are the different languages taught in your school ?

English/ Maltese/ French/ Italian/ German

16. How long have you been learning French ?

Between 6 and 7 years

17. Do you find it difficult ? Do you like it ? Why ?

We do like it so we don't find it difficult, French grammar is difficult though...

18. How many French classes have you got in a week ?

It depends whether French is learnt at advanced level or intermediate. Victoria, for example, has 8 lessons in 6 hours whereas Ian has 3 lessons in 2 hours. they are both in second year.

19. When will you take your A-levels (equivalent of our French baccalauréat)? How many subjects are there ?

May 2009 : 6 subjects

20. Do you have lunch at school or outside ?Do you have a cafeteria ?

We have a cafeteria but we usually bring food from home. We usually have sanwiches and dessert.

21. Are you allowed to eat during classes ?

Of course not ! But everyone goes at the back of the classroom to eat !

22. Do you have access to the Internet at school ? Does your school provide you with laptop computers ? do you usually work on school projects requiring the use of the Net?

We wish our school provided us with laptops ! we usually use the Internet to do our homework.

23. Is smoking in your school forbidden ? Can you use your mobile phones in the corridors ?

It is against the law to smoke in our school even for the teachers. On the contrary, we can use our mobile phones whenever we want except during classes.

24. What are the other school rules ?

We can't get out of school. Alcohol as well as drugs are forbidden. We must be on time for classes.

25. Are school trips abroad organized each year in your school ?

Each year, trips are organized to London and Rome.

26. What do you like least about your school ?

Rules are too strict. Sometimes our school doesn't help us much as it should.

27. What do you like best about your school ?

We are close even with the teachers. We are like a family !

Great thanks to Victoria, Ian, Mark, Maria and Kristina from De La Salle College

On May 11th 2009, the day of our departure to Malta, we first had 4 different classes at Ste Clotilde before taking the bus to Franckfurt in Germany. We were very excited about our trip to Malta but we also had to concentrate in class mainly because we had a test in biology!

At 1:30 pm we got on the bus and our bus driver drove us to Francfurt where we had to wait for 2 hours  before boarding our plane. It took off at 7.15 pm and landed at 21.50 pm. Then we picked up our luggage and  met our host families.

The first thing that struck us once we got outside was the parking lot filled with palm trees, a typical scenery of a Meditteranean landscape! We also were quite anxious about what we were about to discover in our respective new homes for a week. In fact our  Maltese  families were very welcoming and as we were exhausted we went to bed very early!

Cécile and sélène

On Tuesday, we met at 8 am at De la Salle College. Then we went by bus to Vittoriosa, we visited the Inquisitor's Palace, it was created in 1530 after the Knights arrived in Malta. Vittoriosa became the first residence on the island of the Knights of St John in 1530 and served as the Knights' defence bastion against the Turks.

Etienne and Guillaume

After having lunch in Vittoriosa, we returned to De La Salle college at 2:30 p.m.We were all supposed to get familiar with the routes  from our host families' places to the College in order to be able to be autonomous on the following days.

As for us, we took the school bus with Ben, the child of our host family, who showed us where to get off to walk back home.

At 4:00 p.m. we walked to St Georges Bay and and asked  passers-by to show us how to get to interesting  places in Paceville. When we went to the beach, we met Guillaume an Etienne. At 6:00 p.m. we ate an ice-cream at Mc Donald's and then we returned to our host family's.

That was a very nice afternoon.What we enjoyed most was to speak English because we like this language a lot.

Antonin and Lucas.