The Prime Minister yesterday said that another term in office by the PN would see Malta as the leader in e-learning, while also reaching the Lisbon Agenda’s target of 85 per cent of school leavers furthering their studies.

Dr Gonzi was speaking during a press conference held outside the newly built St Benedict’s College in Kirkop to kick start the week’s campaign on the subject of education.

Dr Gonzi said that education was the unique element that allowed Malta’s only natural resource – people – to succeed. “The PN is the party that believes in education, and we believe in it so all children can make a success of themselves. Education, culture and sport allows children to form their character,” he said.

Dr Gonzi said that the government had invested at all levels of the education system and its institutions, including the University, MCAST, Junior College, ITS, the Higher Secondary and others.

He said that the PN was moving education forward thanks to a well thought out curriculum based on e-learning. “Malta has a good education system and this is down to PN governments. Our politics have always been based on the belief in the capabilities of the Maltese and Gozitan people,” he said.

He said that the country had a good educational system before the 70s and 80s when government schools were regarded as the best in the country. “In the 1970s, the MLP government played around with the system and it ended in great disputes with teachers and parents alike. Things got even worse when they entered into a dispute with church and independent schools, which caused a lot of damage to Maltese society,” said Dr Gonzi.

“We recovered and we now have good quality government schools, which is what tax payers expect,” said Dr Gonzi.

He said that the government wanted more students to study beyond school leaving age. “The Lisbon Agenda states that 85 per cent of students should carry on studying beyond school leaving age”. He said that Malta had one of the best progress rates in Europe and that 70 per cent of over 18s continued to study.

He continued: “10 years ago, under an MLP administration, only 40 per cent furthered their studies.”

The Prime Minister said that the government’s aims should be achievable in the next legislature. “But we need more infrastructure and personnel as it will mean thousands of more kids in post secondary institutions,” he said.

Dr Gonzi said that the transition between primary and secondary schooling should be smoother, which is why the government decided to implement the college concept. “We believe that all children have talents and we will be altering the exam system to find their strengths rather than cultivate the race for first and second place mentality,” he said.

Dr Gonzi said that the MLP believed that changes needed to be made in the transition from kindergarten to primary school. “This is a grave mistake and an experiment which is bound to go wrong,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that the MLP’s notion of a reception class was nothing short of making students repeat a year. “They will be leaving school at 18. It was a mistaken analysis by the MLP and a mistaken solution to go with it. I also take this opportunity to shoot down claims by the MLP saying that the government is going to change the Matsec examination re-sits. The Matsec website can confirm this,” he said.

He said that the Malta Union of Teachers did not agree with the reception class idea. “The MLP is drawing a comparison with the UK system, but if you look beneath the surface, it is not the same.” Dr Gonzi said that the UK system had a Nursery, Kinder 1 and then reception class before going in to primary school aged five. In Malta they do Kinder 1, Kinder 2 and then at five years of age, they enter primary school. “If the MLP has its way, the kids would be doing Kinder 1, Kinder 2, Reception Class and then Primary at the age of six,” he said. Dr Gonzi said that the PN does not agree with this proposal and appealed for a more serious and in depth analysis on the MLP’s part. “There is no way we are going to take away one year from each and every student,” he said.

Dr Gonzi said that in the last five years, no less than eight schools had been built while many others had been upgraded. He also said that in the next legislature, a PN government would set up a network of childcare centres.

The Prime Minister said that the government was also going to increase the number of facilitators in schools around Malta, including Church and independent schools. “We are committed to e-learning and we will ensure that there will be a desktop computer for every four children and one laptop per teacher. At present there is one PC for 11 kids, which is the European average. If we reach this aim, we will be the best in Europe,” he said.

He also said that the government was going to set up a e1 million research and development trust to encourage more post-graduate research. He also said that the government was going to offer more attractive stipends to students of courses which are deemed important for the future, as had been done with nurses. “There are 20,000 students who are attending various post secondary and tertiary institutions. We have doubled the number from 10 years ago, when it stood at 10,000 – again under a Labour government,” he said.

He also said that the government was going to spend Lm50 million to create one MCAST campus to put all the various branches under one roof. Dr Gonzi said that the government would also push for a fifth freedom in the EU – Freedom of Knowledge. He said that the ITS, Higher Secondary and Junior College will all be expanded.