From Ms L. Caruana

It has very often been remarked that there is hardly any learning experience in schooling before marriage. Certainly the old adage that the son is father of the man still holds. However, the traditional lifestyles passed on from one generation to the next by example and word of mouth through our traditions and customs, are now facing many challenges that are too well known.

Perhaps there are not many people who know that after other progressive countries passed through challenges, succumbed to them and are suffering the bad experiences of family breakdown, unwanted children and single parenthood, are now doing their best to remedy them. These painful family experiences have necessitated research and learning programmes not only in schools and universities but also in outreach programmes and community programmes in lifelong learning. In the last 100 years, much research in an interdisciplinary field of study called Family Studies has highlighted Christian values more than anything else, irrespective of the beliefs one has.

It is a pity that as a predominantly Catholic nation we are not yet convinced that we have a lot to contribute in family values instead of absorbing new modes of life, which have become dangerously decadent elsewhere. Experience has shown that family unity is of great value to all kinds of people no matter what religion they profess because the family is the basic cell of society and if it is healthy so is the nation. As the title of a basic survey of lifelong learning programmes for families by W. Sheik suggested, education contributes to “A Nation for Families”. Since this research was carried out around 25 years ago, much has been done to build up Family Studies in faculties at universities. If we do not do the same now when families are still strong, we shall have to do it later when instead of preventive education the welfare services will be full of costly remedial measures to support ailing families or wayward individuals without a family.

Lina Caruana

TARXIEN