Speaking at a Mikiel Anton Vassalli Foundation seminar entitled “Education: From Kindergarten to Primary Schooling” yesterday, Malta Labour Party (MLP) leader Alfred Sant said the country needs to take decisions that will bring forward its education and not rely on reforms that have been “proved wrong”. Dr Sant said input from all the stakeholders would give a strategic direction to the education sector given that it is everybody’s responsibility to improve the education system.
Dr Sant said politicians and educators should collaborate on such issues, as politicians alone cannot draft the correct policies for the sector. He said educators can give their contribution to planning and strictly professional issues, while both parties would review the employment conditions of educators, the learning conditions of children and the decision-making process of the sector.
Dr Sant said that notwithstanding the fact that government is pumping millions of liri into education, it is not achieving the desired results. After comparing the results of Maltese students to those of other EU students it is obvious that the system has failed he said, adding that “such results should trigger an immediate national reaction to upgrade the country’s educational system”.
The MLP leader also referred to the focal point of the seminar; the transition from kindergarten to primary school. In its draft plan on education, MLP proposes the introduction of a transitory or ‘Reception class’ between kindergarten and Year One, the purpose being to make the transition to formal schooling easier. Dr Sant said MLP decided to adopt this policy after meeting educators in this sector who said that not all children can cope with the change.
Dr Sant said that although the immediate effects of the Reception Class would not be felt, in the long run it will prove to be a veritable investment as children would be more sure of themselves and hence more receptive to instruction. He ended his talk by praising the foundation for organising an event that brought together researchers, educators and politicians.
The principal MLP spokesman on education, culture and youth Carmelo Abela said one should not defend the status quo just for the sake of it, one should defend it only if it delivers, something, he added, which the present educational system is not. Mr Abela referred to the illiteracy rate in Malta saying that illiteracy very often means unemployment. The literacy classes at the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) bear testament to the system’s failure he said. The Labour spokesman appealed for the children to be given back their childhood, as it was revealed in a recent study that they are the most stressed in the EU. He also said that raising the school leaving age to 17 should not be seen as some form of punishment as children would have more time to dedicate to their education.
The seminar was also addressed by MLP spokesperson on youth, sports and culture Dr Justyne Caruana, educator Dennis Zammit, School Councils Association president Carol Debono, education studies lecturer Joseph Giordemaina, ex-assistant director in the Education Division Joseph Mangani, and primary school assistant head Miriam Mallia.