Politicians love statistics. They enjoy twiddling around with them to their benefit, and always seem to mention those figures that suit their purposes, while ignoring others that do not. And, like the proverbial glass, what is half full for one, is half empty for the other.
Labour acting leader Charles Mangion last Sunday quoted a European Union survey which said that 42 per cent of young people leave the educational system in a state of near illiteracy. He said this figure was worrying and pushed the government into investing more in human resources.
These figures were not doubted by the Education Ministry when this newspaper asked for verification the next day. But the ministry pointed out that although the survey may be slightly indicative of the real scenario, it certainly contains errors as it was conducted only among 200 participants.
And although this particular survey showed that Malta fared badly in this regard, other statistics show that Malta has a good track record. Almost 70 per cent of school leavers continue their studies at post-secondary institutions, a figure the government aims to increase to 85 per cent by 2015. The household budgetary survey indicated that 92.8 per cent of the population is literate, the figure rising to 98.3 and 97.6 in the 10-19 and the 20-29 age groups respectively.
It is safe to say that these figures do contradict each other and, frankly speaking, it is hard to believe those given by Dr Mangion.
If 42 per cent of young people leave the educational system nearly illiterate, how come the number of students taking up courses at the University and the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology is growing every year, so much so that the government, in MCAST’s case, is planning further expansion?
And how come the percentage of those who are considered literate is, according to the household budgetary survey, close to 100? It just does not follow.
There is no doubt that the Nationalist government has invested heavily in education, making it one of the three pillars – together with the economy and the environment – of its policy towards a better future.
New schools have been constructed and others have been upgraded. As said, the university and MCAST are bursting at the seams. The college set-up is still in its infancy and, although not enough time has passed to make an assessment, it is clear that the concept has been welcomed and will give fruit.
Of course, not all is perfect. For example, our education system is still too much exam-oriented, when it should aim to give a more comprehensive upbringing to our children. We still put a lot of pressure on our kids right from an early age when, abroad, the first years of schooling are simply fun. We should try to work out a system that makes education more interesting and appealing, and parents should be the first to push fur such changes.
But the situation today is a far cry from what the children and young people had to endure under a Labour government, particularly in the 1980s. If there is a subject on which Labour should exercise caution when dealing with it, it is education, because Labour’s track record in this respect is awful.
The numerus clausus that restricted entry into university, the limited courses available, the battle to close down the Church schools and the problems which led to a nine-week teachers’ strike are just the major examples of what the education system went through back then.
It is not something that Labour should be proud of, and this is why each time the MLP attacks the education system, as it is today, it is reminded of its past. The MLP never apologised to those thousands of young people of the 1980s whose future would have been totally different if the education system then was up to standard.