The proposals to reform the country’s present education system were heavily criticised yesterday by Malta Union of Teachers president John Bencini, who said that the proposals did not focus sufficiently on the real needs of students in the classroom and on the difficulties students face at school.

He said the document containing the proposals for this reform contained no specific measures which would concretely address the achievement of effective education. In his reaction to the document For all Children to Succeed, Mr Bencini said it contained no proposals which would effectively help students to succeed in their education.

During the press conference, which lasted over an hour, Mr Bencini hardly mentioned any positive points in the document, but he insisted – several times – that the union was all for change in the educational system and promised the union’s support for proposals to this effect. “The MUT has never been against change. On the contrary, the MUT has always been a catalyst for change in the development of the educational system in Malta. We are prepared to cooperate in the reform, provided that the proposed changes will result in an increase in effectiveness in teaching and learning at classroom level, an increase in support at classroom level, a reduction in stress in students, especially during the transition from one level to another and also because the education system in Malta is still too exam-oriented rather than education-oriented. And finally, we would like to see a broadening of opportunities for all students to fully participate in lifelong learning,” he said.

When he began his remarks, Mr Bencini expressed his extreme frustration that the MUT had not been invited to contribute its proposals and that it had been “completely ignored and disregarded”. He said that no one knew more about the problems teachers and pupils face in the classroom than teachers.

“There are a substantial number of students who are not motivated to learn and the syllabus is highly exaggerated and old-fashioned, which makes children give up. The textbooks are old, absenteeism is on the increase, behaviour in class is becoming increasingly unacceptable because of the stress the students have, and the education system is not there for everyone, because those who are below average do not get much help. These are the real problems that education reform has to focus on,” he said.

Mr Bencini also commented on the facilitators who, he said, total around 860. Their numbers are constantly on the increase, and they cost the government Lm3 million a year. The worst thing is, he said, that two-thirds of these people are not trained and sometimes they do not even know what it means to look after a disabled child with, for example, autism or Downs syndrome.

The MUT president also spoke about the number of students in each classroom and the lack of individual attention given to students in these classrooms. He also remarked on the lack of computers in secondary school classrooms.

One of the main points of contention for the MUT was the fact that the proposals in the document would drastically increase bureaucracy, with the appointment of a board of governors, a board of heads, principals, and so on. Moreover, the MUT also complained that these people would be appointed directly by ministers. “Of course we want networking, but we do not want government by direct appointment,” he said.

Mr Bencini also complained about the proposed participation of non-educationalists to steer the educational system in Malta.

He also pointed out that church and independent schools are not mentioned in any of the proposals. “Does this mean that we are assuming that children attending these schools are succeeding?” he asked. He also complained about the fact that most of the people who drew up the document lacked recent experience in classrooms, saying that this was “frustrating”.

The MUT president insisted on the setting up of a Teaching Council which, he said, the document completely excluded.

From the trade union point of view, he said, the MUT is seriously concerned about the working conditions of teachers and he insisted that teachers should remain public sector employees.

In his last few comments before the end of the press conference, Mr Bencini passed a remark about the timing of the publication of the document. He said it was not fair that the document had been published at a time when teachers are taking their well-deserved break.

He also complained that teachers were being contacted at home about attending meetings on the proposals.

Speaking during a press conference called later yesterday afternoon to react to the MUT’s comments, Education Minister Louis Galea said the MUT’s position formed a “good basis for discussion”. He said he agreed perfectly with MUT’s beliefs that the reform should aim at having more effectiveness in class, an increase in support at classroom level, a reduction in stress on students and a broadening of opportunities for all students to participate fully in lifelong learning.

On the document itself, Dr Galea said that the proposals were the result of several years of discussions, meetings and seminars on the subject, adding that now that the proposals are in the public domain, there will be enough time to discuss them and implement them gradually by September 2006.

Replying to a question by The Malta Independent, Dr Galea said it was true that two-thirds of facilitators are not trained, although he pointed out that the people who are being called “facilitators” are not really facilitators, because they have not have obtained a university diploma but have attended a course organised by the Education Division.