The main point of the editorial One-year vacuum (TMID, 23 February) compounds the nonsense of the “repeaters” class hullabaloo. Even with a “repeaters” class thesis (sic), no vacuum would be created: indeed, the PN cum “independent” side of the debate is now verging on the ridiculous. With the “repeaters” class obsession simply no vacuum would be created: even using the incongruent yardstick concocted by Nationalist fantasies: Year 1 would read Reception, Year 2 would read Year 1 and so on and so forth. No teachers would remain stranded in this Kafka situation… then, of course, there is a word in the active world called “training”, a word, perhaps, unknown to the editor.

But then, all this is “Alice in Wonderland”… what GonziPN and the fifth column are seeking is an MLP reception plan to be able to use as target practice in preparation for a “new” opposition, very democratic of course, after 8 March. They (Maltese compatriots and nationalist to make it better) are presenting the new reception year to the electorate as a miserable do-it-yourself (their words) scarecrow to force parents and other educators to shy away from change… positive change… ironically very European in nature.

In fact, a few days ago, in front of Dr Gonzi himself, some repeater supporters stated that Labour’s idea, although adopted in a few countries in Europe, does not mean it’s also relevant for Malta. It has dawned on them at last!

Everybody ought to admit that also in Malta there are serious problems of transition between kinder and primary. This alarming issue cropped up in numerous meetings and seminars, even in those organised by the present ministry. Plans to deal with this problem, among many others, failed to take off. Education officers (curriculum buddies especially) well know why a kinder syllabus, for example, the focus group report, is another. On their part, they toiled and toiled assiduously to move things but the structures were petrified. And they are still so.

The forces of change are held up in a bottleneck of conservatism and incompetence. Hence, motivation of fresh cadres to participate in the change process is down to a historical minimum: new heads and new education officers are very hard to find these days. Who wants to move into a labyrinth of nonchalance, dead wood and political appointees? Who wants to jump on a bandwagon which is in a free fall, misdirected, to say the least, by political commissars in the ministry who evidently (have you watched Education22 lately?) put the political interest first and foremost before those of education challenges?

The obvious is that we need to focus on the educational, not on the political, even though we are deep in an electoral campaign. Education should never be a political punch ball.

Case in point: Studies made by UNESCO indicate that absenteeism at the primary stage in Malta has risen from three per cent (in 1991) to 14 per cent (in 2005). The MLP can utilise this as political baton to hit any “education” politician these days, conveniently playing the repeaters’ game, but the problem is educational, stupid (as one American VIP on similar lines, once said to his rival). One may here repeat (pardon!) what Enzo Arbore used to say “meditate, gente, meditate”. But on the GonziPN side, who is reflecting nowadays except on how to “steal” votes at all costs, including blatant lies and even by using children for a photo opportunity?

Carmelo Abela is the

MLP main spokesman for Education, Youth and Culture