Around 10 trees outside Siġġiewi primary were chopped down because their roots were causing extensive damage to the school, according to principal Sean Zammit.
The site of the roughly cut ficus trees provoked an outcry on social media on Thursday morning, with the local council denouncing the act as “obscene and insensitive.”
However, Zammit explained that the shallow roots had been pushing up tiles in the school kitchen and corridor and had become a safety hazard for the students.
“Children have tripped over the uneven tiles and ended up landing on their face. We needed to find an urgent solution to what had become a pressing problem,” he said.
After contacting the Environment Authority, Zammit said he was advised that permission wasn’t required to cut down the trees, since they weren’t endemic.
He explained that the school head followed all required procedures, and consulted parents and the school council, as well as notifying the mayor of the decision to remove the trees.
Despite this, members of a Siggiewi residents group still took to Facebook, to express their dismay and ask if alternative solutions could have been found.
“The trees were so beautiful and would offer a bit...
