On Wednesday 24th September 2025, as the new scholastic year begins, De La Salle College Junior School in Birgu, and St Benild School in Sliema which forms part of Stella Maris College, have welcomed girls for the first time in Year 1. This marks the beginning of a historic transition for Malta’s Lasallian schools towards co-education.
The introduction of girls in Year 1 is the first concrete step in an 11-year process that will gradually transform De La Salle College and Stella Maris College, including St Benild School, into fully co-educational environments. For this scholastic year, the Year 1 intake has been divided equally between boys and girls, with entry determined through the Church School ballot, organised nationally by the Secretariat for Catholic Education.
Students in all other year groups will continue in the boys-only setting for which the two colleges have long been known. The co-educational model will be phased in year by year: in 2026/27, the first co-educational Year 2 classes will follow, while girls will be welcomed into the senior schools at Year 7/Form 1 in 2031/32. The full transition will be complete by 2035/36.
From their foundation, Lasallian schools have aimed to form the whole person, preparing students for their family, civic and human responsibilities. The shift to co-education reflects the Church’s call for an ethos of authentic, inclusive dialogue within the 21st-century Church, a dialogue that embraces the contributions of both men and women.
The decision to embrace co-education was taken following wide consultation with staff, parents and students.
This new chapter in the history of De La Salle College and Stella Maris College will ensure that boys and girls grow and mature together in an environment where mutual respect, inclusion and Christian values are lived daily as part of their education.