Paul Borg- a colleague, a friend

Paul joined the Secretariat for Catholic Education as Head of Department for Economics & Business Studies in September 2010. This role carried the responsibility of coordinating Economics, a subject that is only taught in the non-state sector, making Paul a local reference point. Taking on this position professionally, Paul put in his heart and soul to guide teachers in Church schools while inspiring them to teach to high standards. He instilled in teachers a yearning to remain constantly updated with developments in this field so that this subject could be presented to students in a relevant and authentic manner. Furthermore, he prioritised the Church’s teachings on ethical and moral dealings in the world of economics. One of the last seminars he coordinated for teachers before the pandemic broke out was on the sustainability development goals and how best to integrate them within the syllabus. For Paul, teaching Economics went beyond the actual academic content, as he emphasised the importance of incorporating lifelong skills that one needs to manage in a world driven by economies. As a coordinator for this subject, teachers found in Paul a mentor, subject-expert and colleague, always ready to give more than was initially asked for. Thanks to Paul’s efforts, teachers of Economics were connected throughout the pandemic through an online professional learning community as he was always a phone call, text, or email away. He also kept himself updated on technological developments in education, with a strong belief in lifelong learning, a principle which he held to until the end.

Paul represented Church schools on the Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) panel for Economics, recently chairing the panel tasked to write the new syllabus. He also coordinated the teacher consultation meetings that led to the finalisation of the syllabus as it now appears on the MATSEC website. Being truly engaged in this work, Paul felt very satisfied and proud that the syllabus would be learner-friendly, with the aim of encouraging students to bring out their full potential in the subject. He was retiring with peace of mind that this job was completed while leaving behind his legacy in this work. One of the last things he promised when we met less than a month ago was that he would conduct the professional development sessions related to the new syllabus; a vow which was already meant to be kept as he had already given in the session titles for our training calendar. We are indebted to his service, and we will do our best to continue working on these aims using all the material he has passed on to teachers over the past years.

As part of the Curriculum Entitlement team, Paul was a point of reference, bringing experiences from his professional life as a teacher at St Aloysius College, where he also served as an Assistant Head of School for several years, as well as at St Paul’s Missionary Collee where he taught both Economics and Accounts in an after-school proramme. His good humour, particularly his unique wit, often dispersed moments of tension and he will be sorely missed by his fellow colleagues during staff meetings and other events. His insight into how best to organise ourselves while working in schools helped the team on many occasions, while his vast knowledge on different matters meant that we often turned to him to see what his views were on particular and even debatable issues.

Dear Paul, in the name of all your colleagues at SfCE,

You left us speechless – we will remember your happy laugh, that kind twinkle in your eyes as you bid us farewell. Till we meet again, this is dedicated to you https://padlet.com/angelacoppini/rdnlknk6yz2vwcr4

May you now rest in the arms of your Loving Father!

Angela Charles
Service Manager (Curriculum Entitlement)
Secretariat for Catholic Education, Floriana

28/07/2021