A sound education system is indispensable for a country to continue with economic sustainability especially within the international economy. And the PN government acknowledges this fact.
This year, more than ever, the government continued to invest heavily in the development and education of our children. The government’s vision and strategy target an education system where all children succeed. The basis of this education system is high quality education from an early age up to vocational training. It is a system aimed at empowering every citizen to develop fully, to participate in and contribute to our society.
And how is the PN government ensuring this success? There are various factors to ensure this success. Children and young people are prepared towards succeeding in life, learning is being carried out in a healthy and suitable environment and our children are living a complete experience from kindergarten to primary, secondary and up to post-secondary and tertiary education.
Vocational training is also of a high priority and it is increasing the learning opportunities and training in vocational institutes, so that young people can develop different skills.
The Nationalist government is investing heavily in all stages of a child’s educational life.
In fact the government has invested Lm1,400 for each and every child in all the government schools. All children are now taught IT skills and have supervised access to the internet. At the primary level 60 per cent of students are succeeding in passing the Junior Lyceum exams.
The government has also invested in and developed inclusive education. There are 1,785 students at primary and secondary level who are making use of the services of a facilitator thus enabling them to follow mainstream educational programs.
138 schools have been modernised, with classes and laboratories refurbished to reflect today’s needs. Construction works are ongoing for the building of new schools such as the ones at Mosta and Pembroke.
The targets set by the government for further and higher education also imply high expectations for this sector. 70 per cent of teenagers are continuing on to higher education when compared to the 45 per cent in 1997. In this sector the number of students receiving a stipend has gone up to 15,500 from the 13,000 in 2004.
Probably the heaviest investment of all is in the higher education sector where Government announced a huge investment to transform MCAST over the coming years into a leading vocational education institution. Currently MCAST is offering 100 different courses whose capacity and quality will improve with the transformation of this educational institution.
It is very evident that the Nationalist government is continuously planning policies to ensure peace of mind for parents and children alike. It is also continuously working towards a system which gives teachers satisfaction and enables them to develop further their careers.
In the coming months when we parents will be making a choice in whose hands we should trust our children’s future, I am convinced that our choice is very clear. The Nationalist Party should be an obvious choice as it is the only Party who has a clear agenda and a clear path for all our children to succeed.
Michelle Mallia is president of the Nationalist Party Women’s Movement