In a contribution to The Malta Independent published on Monday, Malta Union of Teachers president John Bencini expressed serious concern on the future of the teaching profession, saying that unless something drastic happens, Malta will be facing a “teachers’ crisis” in two years’ time.
He backed this up with statistics, saying that at present there are only 130 students on all four years of the course which will qualify them as primary school teachers, with only nine being male. This means an average of 42 students will graduate each year, a number that is much lower than what is needed in the sector.
Matters are slightly better when it comes to secondary schools, where nearly 400 are studying to become teachers for an average of 100 graduates every year, with more or less one fourth of them being men.
Mr Bencini also highlighted the fact that there is a lack of student-teachers in areas such as science subjects, computer studies and information technology. He went on to say that generally speaking teachers in Malta are experiencing a weakening of confidence.
There is no doubt that the opening of so many University courses has, over the years, contributed to the decline in the number of students taking up the teaching profession. Not so long ago, the teaching course was bursting at the seams simply because it was one of the few options available, and students in search of a degree often ended up in this course even though perhaps it was not their top preference. Nowadays, unless one really has the vocation to become a teacher, he or she will not join the teaching course because the University offers so many other possibilities.
The problem is that a shortage of teachers – at all levels – will bring the country down on its knees. At a time when the government is heavily investing in education and has made the sector one of the top priorities in what it has described as Vision 2015, this shortcoming must be seen to quickly so as to avert the crisis Mr Bencini has so aptly explained.
The newly-appointed Education Minister, Dolores Cristina, must deal with the matter urgently, involving all the stakeholders in a bid to resolve the situation.
It has often been said that education forms the foundations of any country, and in particular countries where there are no natural resources and where therefore human resources must be given the utmost importance. But if the number of teachers available is not enough to meet the demand, then this could potentially have a ripple effect on the whole sector.
It could mean, for example, that the number of children in each particular class would have to be increased – and this at a time when there is an emphasis on smaller classes so as to give more attention to individual needs. This in itself could also lead teachers to protest as bigger classes mean bigger problems, and it is highly improbable that the Malta Union of Teachers will accept such a situation.
In his article, Mr Bencini speaks about other issues that are negatively affecting teachers. Many tend to look at teachers as being privileged as they work shorter hours and have more holidays, but the MUT president lists a number of factors that are “causing stress and burn-out”.
On the whole, the main thrust of Mr Bencini’s words is that teachers should be given more support – and what de describes as a “decent salary” – for the sterling work they carry out with the younger generations.
Let us not forget that teachers form an integral part of what the country will be in the years to come – and if there are not enough of them, Malta could be facing serious difficulties.