The new Education Institute will see training for teachers to face the day to day realities within the classroom, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said in Parliament.

Parliament was discussing a motion put forward by the Opposition to amend a Legal Notice regarding the Education Institute. 

PN MP George Pullicino said that amendments that determines the functions and composition of the board for the education institute should be made. "This government wants one representative for both Church schools and State schools. They must appoint one person to represent each them. It is not right that both types of schools have one representative between them".

"The Opposition proposes that 2 persons be nominated from the education sector, one from church schools and one from independent schools". The Opposition are also calling for a representative nominated by the Opposition to be present on the Board.

The Minister said that the process has already been agreed too internally for there to be a representative from the independent and church schools, separately.

He did not agree to the second part for the Opposition to appoint a representative. He mentioned that a representative from the Council for the Teaching Profession has already been chosen, and this person is the one running the Think-Tank for the Opposition on Education. "I am happy about this". While the Legal Notice mentions that there will be representatives for both the Church and State, we do not believe there should be a representative appointed by the Opposition. There is noone on the Board who is a political appointee and all come from the Education sector. If the Opposition requires any information, it will be given".

"I told Opposition Spokesperson for Education Therese Comodini Cachia that any public official she needs to speak to is open to her and that she will have access to speak with them without asking me first. The Opposition will have total accedd to the Education Institute and can scrutinise it within a Committee". He mentioned Dr Joe Gauci and Father Jimmy Bartolo will represent the State and Church Schools.

"In the governance of the education institute, it makes sense to have state, church and independent school representatives". He said teachers today also advise and console children in terms of the road they choose to take in life. "There are also those who would choose wrongly. Teachers need training to have the skills required to guide students towards their futures". He mentioned the good relationship he has with Church Schools and the fact that he has had good experiences discussing with both Independent and Church schools on several instances.

There are times teachers face students from many different nationalities in the same class - Minister

"Where previously, teachers faced students who were brought up with certain traditions and values, today we know there are major changes in society, modern changes. Those that were organic and traditional have become complicated and the situation we currently have, sees children coming from over 60 different countries. In classes there are times where one would see 16 different nationalities, and some mixed-nationality".

"When one finds children coming from different cultures and realities, from war-zones and all the trauma they bring, teachers need training and must be prepared to handle this".

He mentioned that the Education Institute will work hand in hand with the faculty for education and the University.

"While discussing the new agreement with the Malta Union of Teachers, we must make sure there is enough time for professional training for teachers. If we do not solve this, there would continue to be serious problems. This institute will coordinate professional development to reach these aims".

The principle aims of the education institute are to give the necessary training for teachers and to those who have important posts within the education sector, the Minister added.

He spoke of the need for communication and collaboration between the family and the community.

"The Institute must serve as a common space for teachers to meet and share their experience".

The Minister explained that when teachers feel they are alone, they tire, however when they hare experiences, explaining to each other what works and what doesn't, it would produce a lot of good. "When sharing troubles, they become easier to bare".

The Minister explained that aside from exams and tests, the ties between education and life is also important.

"There are things a student learns in class, and others one would learn through work. It is important to allow students to develop their characters not solely based on core subjects. Involvement in NGOs, social work, and experience in work are all important which help bring on life skills", he said, adding that he wants the Education Institute to help provide this.

He spoke of those teachers who have just graduated and are being recruited as teachers, mentioning the importance of a system to be introduced where they can receive support.  "We need a training scheme for new teachers for those who have just achieved a university education, when they begin facing real students, one would need support and help through mentoring".

For a Head of school to be a teacher who rose through the ranks without being trained in running a school can be problematic. "It is important for Heads of Schools to be trained and capable of running schools, capable of working hand in hand with Assistant Heads".

"We need professional development for college principles. "One cannot automatically assume they have the training to lead all the departments within a college," he said.

"Within the Teachers Corps, there are people who are highly qualified however, due to education law, cannot have a permanent warrant. We believe this is unjust and to upkeep the standards and level of education, if they need a 'top-up' for their permanent warrant then we should help them".

The institute will also organize national conferences, he explained, adding that government wants the inclusion of parents.

No aim to reduce SEC standards

Turning to SEC exams,he said that two great reports exist. He mentioned that a veteran who saw the education sector evolve,said that in 2005 and 2010 two great reports occurred, yet nothing came of them. "We have no aim of reducing standards or introducing a system where everything passes". He mentioned the importance of standards.

Turning to mobility between State, Independent and Church schools for teachers, he said that discussions are underway.

He mentioned that more than €3million is being given for a scheme for Independent school funding. It is possible for an independent school that previously it could only use to buy computers, whether they can use it to expand a school’s building. Where Independent schools require help in a particular sector, we will be there to help them.

Turning to LSA’s in Independent schools, he mentioned that more than €750,000 is being spent there, and more funds will be required for this.

He said that government aims for all schools to work together, cooperate together and learn together, regardless if they are Church, State or Independent schools.

Your first mistake... - George Pullicino

George Pullicino, in response, said that the institute’s work primarily focusses on the continuous professional development. “Everyone agrees that there is need for this, however the question remains, how to do this and when to do this. After work? Over the Summer period? Teachers agree there is need for this but argue that there is need to change their conditions of work in order for the training to leave an effect on the education system”.

He believes the need for synergy between the Education Institute, the Council for the Teaching Profession and the Faculty for Education. The PN MP mentioned the need that the Education Institute must work to find this synergy.

Turning to financial allocations to this institute, he noted that the Minister did not mention this in his intervention. “If the funds are not given for such an institute, then we might see a repetition of another Commission, which is the National Commission for Sustainable Development. It didn’t receive funds and saw a mass resignation as they did not have the funds to do their work, and among those who resigned were prominent persons, like Zammit Cutajar who said that they were resigning as they were not their just to warm chairs”.

He also called on the need for the Institute to have the administrative backup it would require in order to work as it should. “I urge the Minister to make contact with other similar institutes as we must always learn from other country’s experiences”.

“If, as the Minister said, he saw many positive experiences in consulting and working with both the Church and State, how did you publish a Legal Notice that you yourself, cast aside this positive experience and only included one representative. Was it because it was rushed? How do you move to publish with only 1 representative for both school types? It is obvious government did not consult on this Legal Notice, as if they had proposed a Bill instead of a Legal Notice, they would have brought this to your attention. The first mistake was moving forward without consultation”.

Another mistake is that you did not feel the need for them to have separate representation, the PN MP added. "Will you vote with us on this Bill, like the PN have voted so many times on things we agree with?"

The Minister quickly intervened and said that if a vote is taken only the first amendment then government "will vote in favour". George Pullicino in turn said that practice in Parliament is to vote "amendment after amendment".

The PN MP turned to the argument that the Council for the Teaching Profession has nominated a representative from one of the PN Think-tanks. He said that while this might be the case today, it might not be the case tomorrow, and mentioned the importance for the Opposition to have a right to have a representative on the Board.

He said that the PN was always a party who did all they could to defend the existence and work of Church Schools, 

'Targets made by this government are being missed by this government'

Turning to funds giving to Church schools, the PN MP said that this was established during the 80s

He noted that the way the Legal Notice was released, it proves that things are coming out bit by bit and is a symptom of how government is moving within the Education sector, with things, like a Legal Notice, changing the next day. He mentioned that the Minister had to go back to Cabiner to make an amendment.

Officials within government themselves are saying that there is no vision and things are occurring bit by bit.

Turning to the Education Strategy from 2014-2020 he said that “until today, we still do not know what this vision is. Two years have passed, no one speaks about it and it has not yet concluded”.

“In January 2014, government announced a consultation period for laws regarding education, and yet we still do not have a full Education law presented in Parliament. This government criticised the previous government on education, yet now over 18 months have passed instead of two as government had said”.

“Targets made by this government are being missed by this government... not having a plan is a mistake, and not having a definite plan and vision is definitely a mistake".

He stressed that this is what parents, teachers and students are saying.

"The fact that there are some schools who have 20% of children coming from international families with different realities, some of whome come from conflict areas, there are many difficulties".

He quoted a number of articles by this newsroom, one of which read that the School Leaving certificate, which will be set at the same level as O-levels, will be complimentary to O-levels. He mentioned that the Ministry hadn’t responded to questions sent by this paper for three weeks, and answered directly the next day when he was asked face-to-face by this newsroom.

He called on the need for such school-leaving certificates to have consistency and uniformity.  

In conclusion, the first amendment regarding seperate representatives for Church and Independent schools passed with both sides in agreement, and the second part, for the Opposition to appoint a representative, did not pass.