Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/846769
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 JULY 2017 5 News x when viewed from Regional Road in Kappara, from where Marsamxett harbour is visible. Both projects are highly visible from Hastings Garden in Val- letta. But the most remarkable as- pect emerging from the pho- tomontages is the visual im- pact of the Metropolis project which will completely domi- nate views of Manoel island when viewed from Tigné and the Sliema strand. Din l-Art Helwa has objected to the additional five floors and has asked how an approved high-rise building which al- ready applied the floor-area ra- tio, can extend further than the original intent whilst retaining the same footprint. The floor area ratio permits extra floors in return for maximising open space around the project. Two other high-rise projects are being proposed in Gzira. Gozitan developer Euchar Vella's firm Karkanja is propos- ing the construction of two in- terconnected towers – one ris- ing to 13 storeys, and the higher one rising to 29 – on the site of the former Golden Harvest fac- tory. The projects include 100 new residential units as well as the ubiquitous supermarket. An 18-storey tower is also be- ing proposed on the Wembley ice cream factory, just opposite the Metropolis high-rise. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt dwarfed These new photomontages show the scale of the proposed Metropolis high-rise on Testaferrata Street in Gzira, when viewed from Valletta, together with the high-rise on the site of the former United Garage. Top: the high-rise setting as seen from Valletta, and clockwise, from Pietà, from the Regional Road, Manoel Island, and from Tigné How many pupils do not take religious education at school [not necessarily studying ethics] STATE SCHOOLS • Primary 1,402 STATE SCHOOLS • Secondary 890 CHURCH SCHOOLS • Primary 5 CHURCH SCHOOLS • Secondary 4 PRVATE SCHOOLS • Primary 519 PRIVATE SCHOOLS • Secondary 409 TOTAL 3,228 Source: House of Representatives Data excludes students at the Mariam Albatool School and Verdala International School which does not offer religion, or from the Russian Boarding School. Give children religion not 'ethics', Archbishop urges parents today TIM DIACONO THE Church has sent cir- culars to its parish priests, instructing them to use this weekend's Mass to encour- age parents to choose reli- gion over ethics as a school subject for their children. In the circular, Archbish- op Charles Scicluna said Catholic parents were duty- bound to choose a religious education for their children. "When your children are still young, you are respon- sible – through your words and actions – for helping them grow in faith and by ensuring that they receive the required educational formation," he said. The circular quotes Pope Francis's recent post-syn- odal exhortation Amoris La- etitia as clearly stating that it is one of the main duties of parents to provide their children with a complete education. It also confirms that the Curia is working to update religion curricula at schools, to render it more relevant to students. Ethics was originally in- troduced three years ago as a pilot project in five government schools as an alternative subject to reli- gion. It is now being offered as a subject in 13 govern- ment schools and 14 middle schools, and as of next scho- lastic year will be extended to six new primary schools and three new middle and secondary schools. The subject encourages students to critically think and argue about philosophi- cal ideas and controversial issues, gradually proceeding from getting Year 1 children to question why they have been given a name, to pro- voking discussion on eutha- nasia and abortion among Form 5 students. Other top- ics discussed along the way include friendship, com- munities, the environment, hunting, punishment, in- trinsic values and virtues, religion, moral dilemmas, love and sex, suicide, cyber- bullying and censorship. Circular urges priests during Sunday mass to encourage parents to choose religion over ethics as a school subject for their children "You are responsible – through your words and actions – for helping them grow in faith" Archbishop Charles Scicluna