The Labour Party’s proposal to introduce a reception class between kindergarten and the first year of primary school is “not a solution” and the political parties are not doing well to discuss the matter during an electoral campaign, because “children are not political robots”, Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) president John Bencini said yesterday.

Mr Bencini was speaking during a news conference, during which the MUT spoke about its memorandum on a number of education-related matters, which it has presented to the political parties contesting the general election.

The Malta Independent had reported the MUT president’s criticism of the Labour Party’s reception class proposal on 31 January.

Mr Bencini said the MUT was first informed about the Labour Party’s proposal way back in April 2006, when the party’s draft plan was sent to the union.

The reception class proposal consisted of just four lines, said Mr Bencini, adding that the implications of this proposal were not included, and the party never discussed the matter with the union.

“The decision to include it in their plan seems to have been taken following an internal discussion within the MLP,” said Mr Bencini.

Rather, he said, such a proposal requires much thought and discussion with the social partners, including the MUT, teaching professionals and parents, among others.

“What worries me is that members of the Labour Party have said that they will implement the proposal since it is in their plan. They then said the proposal is cast in stone, and I hope it isn’t,” said the MUT president, adding that it is “not a solution” to the problems in the education sector.

“Have they looked into the consequences of such a proposal being implemented? Have they considered that students will leave school at 17?” he said.

Nonetheless, said Mr Bencini, this was not the only issue in the education sector, even though this is the only thing people seem to have been speaking about over the past couple of weeks.

He mentioned a number of the MUT’s suggestions to political parties, stressing that the country could face a crisis in a couple of years’ time, due to the fact that not enough people are taking up teaching as a profession.

He said the education system requires significant additional resources. There needs to be greater direct investment in the education sector and this needs to be given priority over investment in buildings and amenities, said Mr Bencini.

He added that the current level of investment in education in EU member states is too low, with seven countries spending just around four per cent of their GDP on education and 12 countries spending below five per cent.

Another crucial factor is student motivation, according to the MUT. Children’s learning experience has to be enhanced by means of diversified methods of teaching.

“The level of education in Malta is very high. One of our problems, however, is the fact that the system is based on exam-oriented teaching,” said Mr Bencini.

The MUT is also claiming that there is too much focus on academic material in the primary school sector. As a result, teachers are given little space to help develop children’s creativity.

Mr Bencini said schools have to ensure that both pupils and teachers are protected against violence and threats, and that sufficient anti-bullying measures are taken.

He said teachers’ working conditions must also be improved and professional freedom of teachers be developed.

Overall, Mr Bencini repeated the MUT’s long-time proposition to have a comprehensive school system that promotes tolerance and diversity.

“This type of system promotes tolerance, diversity and peace, as witnessed in the Nordic countries, that have a long tradition of a sound comprehensive school system,” he said.