The Dean of the Faculty of Education, Valerie Sollars yesterday called on new graduates to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way because “engaging in new challenges enables you to become more committed and more highly-regarded professionals.”
Dr Sollars was addressing the first batch of university students graduating in an undergraduate degree.
She explained that education is not the same thing as schooling.
“Schooling is a phase which has the potential of making a significantly, positive contribution towards one’s education. Equating education with schooling implies that there is no education prior to or at the end of the compulsory years,” she said.
Dr Sollars pointed out that, today, society has access to educational opportunities, outside school, through technology and with a constantly changing social, cultural and technological environment that make life-long learning a necessity for survival.
“Teaching styles, resources and content have to be constantly updated to address the changing needs and demands of society. Without adaptation, schools increasingly run the risk of becoming an irrelevant anachronism,” she said.
“Our students can only succeed in meeting these demands if they themselves are dynamic and interesting people who possess a wealth of skills, knowledge and interests they can bring to the teaching profession to inspire the pupils for whom they are responsible,” added Dr Sollars.
She expressed satisfaction at the recently introduced Degree+ programme.
“While registering for a degree leads to specialisation in a discipline, a wholly educated person needs to be an active participant in other endeavours, be they artistic, creative, cultural, linguistic, scientific, entrepreneurial or philanthropic,” she said.
Dr Sollars pointed out that, unfortunately, this way of thinking does not come naturally to many Maltese university students.
“Even worse, our current education system does not generally encourage such participation. Local research conducted among primary and secondary school students has clearly indicated that over time, participation in extra-curricular activities diminishes as pressure of exams increases,” she said.
She also spoke about the new developments in the education system that will improve the level of training and qualifications of staff working with young children and said that this is an investment for the future of Maltese society.
“Ensuring early childhood provision is of high quality is in everyone’s interest and goes beyond the benefits of immediate, personal consumption,” said Dr Sollars.
Below are the students who graduated yesterday:
Diploma In Lace Studies Maria Abela, Mary Louise Bajada, Monica Bonnici, Spiridiona Camilleri, Serah Cini, Maryanne Cremona, Anna Maria Gatt, Fiorentina Guiliano, Alessandra Haber, Jacqueline Muliett, Angela Scerri Cassar, Marguerite Tabone.
Diploma In Facilitating Inclusive Education
Charmaine Abdilla, Caroline Abela, Clelia Abela Borg, Marie-Louise Agius, Tania Agius, Juanella Azzopardi, Mary Azzopardi, Marguerite Elizabeth Bonello, Theresa Bonello, Roberta Borg, Dorianne Brincat, Josephine Brincat,
Antonella Buhagiar, David Buhagiar, Tania Butigieg, Maryanne Calleja, Mary Rose Camenzuli, Daniela Camilleri,
George Camilleri, Karen Vin Camilleri, Marthese Camilleri, Rita Caruana, Michelle Elizabeth Cassar, Joanne Cauchi, Judy Cauchi, Roberta Cauchi, Monica Chircop, Claire Ciappara, Marlene Craus, Antoinette D’amato, Christabel D’amato, Maria Louise Debono, Marcelle Degiorgio, Miriam Deguara Miriam Demicoli, Lora Dimech, Louise Ebejer, Isabelle El Saghir, Sabrina Falzon, Monica Farrugia, Sharon Farrugia, Caroline Galea, Natasha Galea, Margaret Galea Lopez, Maryanne Ghio, Myriam Giacomotto, Anna Grech, Julie Grech, Maria Grech, Emma Grima, Bernardette Grungo, Romina Hansford Genuis, Glenn La Rosa, Fabian Law, Rose Lo Presti, Aloisia Magro, Maria Mallia*, Anna Gloria Mangion, Alison Ann Meilak, Marcell Mejlaq, Marianne Mercieca, Carmen Micallef, Marthese Micallef, Anita Muscat Maria Dolores Muscat, Polly Ann Muscat, Kelly Ann Nwankwo, Claire Pace Balzan, Janita Pellicano, Alexia Pisani, Ruth Pullicino, Marilyn Saliba, Shirley Sammut, Catherine Schembri, Georgina Schembri, Marie Scibberas, Alison Spiteri, Fiona Spiteri, Isabelle Spiteri, Rita Stellini, Susan M. Stivala, Anne Sultana, Claire Sultana, Rosalyn Sultana, Louisa Vassallo, Brigid Vella, Chamarie Vella, Theresa Vella, John J. Zammit, Theresa Zammit, Alison Zarb Mizzi, Katherine Zerafa.
Bachelor In Conservation & Restoration Studies (Hons)
Sponsor: Prof. A. J. Vella
Theodora Fardi*
Bachelor Of Science (Honours)
Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut
Analise Attard, Daniela Attard, Daphne Attard, Lorraine Baldacchino, Martha Borg, Matthew Borg, Jean Pierre Brincat*, Denise Ann Buhagiar, Kostantin Cachia, Jonathan Camilleri, Mariella Camilleri, Christian Caruana, Svetlana Rose Caruana, Analisse Cassar, Elaine Chetcuti, Duncan Ciappara, Petra Cilia, Andrew Cortis, Clayton Joseph D’amato, Ruth Debrincat, Julian Evans, Karl Galea, Sera Gatt, Adam Pierre Gauci, Francesca Pia Gravino, Gilbert Haber, Elaine Manicaro, Jonathan Pace, Roberta Pace, Selina Pace, Antonia Pawley, Antoinette Refalo, Yanika Rizzo, Stephanie Sammut, Joseph Scerri, Matthew Spagnol, David Spiteri, George Spiteri, Jonathan Spiteri, AndrŽ Xuereb (Robing), Georgiana Xuereb, Charmaine Zahra, Matthew Zerafa.
Bachelor Of Science
Sponsor: Prof. C. V. Sammut
Romy Coleiro*, Michela Degaetano, Louis Fresta, Lara Selvaggi.
Bachelor Of Pharmacy (Honours)
Sponsor: Prof. G. Laferla
Maria Rita Agius, Sarah Aquilina, Tara Azzopardi, Ian Baldacchino, Kristine Buhagiar, Josef Cachia, Donnah Calleja, Justine May Callus, Eliza Camilleri, Marie Claire Camilleri, Nigel Cauchi, Andrew Leone Corrieri, Julian De Gabriele, Kenneth Ellul, Francesca Farrugia, Fiona Fenech, Nathalie Fenech, Alison Ferriggi, Ann-Marie Flores, Jessica Ghigo, William Grech, Christian Mangani, Angelique Pace, Jeanelle Corrine Portelli, Christian Saliba, Annelise Sapiano, Melissa Smith, Anne Marie Spiteri, Joanna Vella, Francesca Wirth (Robing), Kirsty Young, Francesca Zammit, Nicole Zerafa.
Bachelor Of Pharmacy
Sponsor: Prof. G. Laferla
Karl Sammut*
Bachelor Of Dental Surgery
Sponsor: Dr. S. Camilleri
Adrienne Busuttil, Matthew-John Cachia, Dennis Cutajar, Anthony Alexander Farrugia, Romina Grech, Silvana Mifsud, Monique Portelli, Andre’ Vella Bonnici.
Bachelor Of Laws
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Mark Abela, Jonathan Abela Floridia*, Angelle Agius, Alyssa Attard, Nadine Attard, Paula Attard, Petra Attard, Trudy Attard, Petra Attard Montalto, Roberta Avellino, Annalies Azzopardi, Charmaine Azzopardi, Daniel Mark Azzopardi, Darren Azzopardi, Rachel Azzopardi, Ramona Azzopardi, Geraldine Ann Baldacchino, Maxine Balzan Demajo, Katrin Bartolo, Clint Bennetti, Andrea Luca Bonello, Marie Chantelle Bonnici, Elizabeth Borg, Karen Borg, Paul Borg, Rossana Briffa, Alistair Bugeja, George C Bugeja, Caroline Busuttil Naudi, Lara C. Buttigieg, Katia Cachia, Nadine Cachia, Mario Calleja, Abigail Camilleri, Alicia Camilleri, Anthony Fisher Camilleri, Lara Camilleri, Nadia Camilleri, Olivia Camilleri, Yanika Camilleri, Jeanette Carabott, Charlene Caruana, Claudia Cassar,
Daniela Cassar, Rosette Cassar, Stephanie Cassar,Kurt Etienne Catania, Aaron Ceross, Stephenie Chetcuti, Adriana Ciantar, Melanie Ciappara, Jean Noel Cutajar, Alexei Dalli, Anna Debono, Dorita Debono, Karl Debono*, Loredana Debono, Marouska Debono, Caroline Dimech, Marilyn Dimech, Nathaniel Farrugia, Ingrid Fenech, Andrea Fenech Gonzaga, Andrew Formosa, Luke Frendo, Anna Marie Gaffiero Muscat Drago, Rachel Galea, Stephanie Galea, Francesca Galea Cavallazzi, Jessica Gauci, Rakele Gauci, Sihon Gauci, Maria Grech, Andrew Grima, Krystyna Grima, Ruth Antoinette Grima, Cheryl Incorvaia, Abigail Marie Mallia, Rebecca Mcharg, Maria Micallef, Nicholas Micallef,
Yana Christine Mifsud, Corazon Mizzi, Anndrea Moran, Denise Muscat, Rachael Samantha Muscat, Tara Navarro, Maxilene Pace, Sharon Pace Gouder, Jonathan Pisani, Robert Anthony Piscopo, Pamela Portanier, Andre Portelli, Tiziana Maria Refalo, Sarah Rutter Giappone, Stephanie Saliba, Josianne Sammut, Alexia Sceberras Trigona, Kris Scicluna, Maria Scicluna, Lucio Sciriha, Ann Marie Spiteri, Roberta Spiteri, Elaine Sultana, Francesco Sultana, Graziella Tanti, Jonathan Thompson, Christian Tonna, Mariella Tonna, Stephanie Vassallo, Alexandra Vella, Amanda Vella, John Mary Vella, Anthia Ann Zammit, Francesca Zarb, Matthew Zarb, Michelle Zarb, Omar Zerafa
Diploma Of Notary Public
Johnaton Abela, Nicola Abela, Susann Agius, Adrian Attard, Jean Pierre Attard, Sharon Azzopardi, Maria Baldacchino, Ruth Baldacchino, Francis Basile Cherubino, Samuel Bezzina, Matthew Bondin, Astrid Jo Bonnici, Andrea Borg, Anton Borg, Joette Borg, Sylvana Borg, Yanica Borg, Maria Kristina Buckle, Ann-Marie Bugeja, Yanika Bugeja, Ayrton Buhagiar, Keith Ryan Calleja, Krista Calleja Mercieca, Maria Concetta Cardona, Annalise Caruana, Charles Cassar, Daniela Cassar, Kezia Cassar, Stefania Rosette Cassar, Jeanette Ciantar, Fiona Cilia, Nicholas Curmi, Francois Dalli, Anton D’amato, Henry Darmanin, Jonathan De Maria, Jonathan Degiovanni, Philip Ellul, Elaine Farrugia, Clayton Fenech, Karina Fenech, Kelly Dominic Fenech, Nadya Fiott, Francesca Galea, Robert Galea, Corinne Marie Gatt, Daniela Gauci, Jean Pierre Gauci, Austin Gauci Maistre, Robert Gauci Maistre, James Grech, Stephanie Grech, Kathleen Grima, Mark Hyzler, Michael Laferla, Alessandro Lia, Emaliese Lofaro, Christian Magri, Diane Magro, Nicola Magro, Alison Mallia Borg, Claire Mamo, Alexander Mangion, Ann Marie Mangion, Deborah Mercieca, Liana Micallef, Maria Paloma Micallef, Anton John Mifsud, Patricia Mifsud, Matthew Muscat, Nadia Muscat, Rachel Muscat, Ramon Navarro, Caroline Pace, James Pace, Lara Pace, Petr Pechar, Mauro Noel Portelli, Simon Pullicino, Patrick Quintano, Matthew Saliba, Nicole Ann Saliba, Francesca Sansone, Juliana Scerri Ferrante, Alistair Schembri, Jan Schembri*, Nikita Scicluna, Sarah Jane Scicluna, John Seychell Navarro, Michela Spiteri Debono, Ivan Tabone, Marita Tabone, Nathania Tabone, Jonathan Taylor – East, Marcelle Troisi, Rachel Tua Fenech Adami, Sarah Tua Fenech Adami, Mark Vassallo, Matthew Xerri, Simon Xuereb, Mark Zaffarese, Joseph Zammit, Veronica Zammit, Karen Zammit Southernwood.
* In Absentia