Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dolores Cristina would like to refer to the comment in the editorial (Lost in education, TMID 10 September) where at the end of the fourth paragraph it was stated that “Education Minister Dolores Cristina has not spoken about the matter either, at least not in public”, and state that this is highly incorrect.

I would like to draw your attention to the parliamentary debate in reply to the President’s speech, Sitting 6, when Mrs Cristina spoke about the education sector and mentioned in particular:

“And here I cannot but make a reference to the issue of streaming and the selective system that we have in our primary education sector. The idea of streaming, in my opinion, goes against the principle of democracy, does not create a healthy environment for children who need motivation and commitment. We know that to succeed, we do not only need skills and opportunities but also self-esteem and self-confidence and a streaming system does not lead to this. We want to see children who improve their self-confidence and not being classified as inferior to their colleagues”.

And later on in the same debate Minister Cristina continued that:

“In the last years there have been discussions that focussed on what the education system should provide for children when they reach the age of about 11. As you know in the past legislature a working group had studied this matter and this report has been concluded. The next phase will be a serious discussion to decide what is best for our children.”

Apart from this in her article published in The Times on May 2, 2008, the minister also referred to the issue of streaming.

On another occasion the minister said that the ministry will soon be publishing a discussion document on this issue. It is obvious that if a discussion document is to be launched, we should leave the real debate for after the launching and the submission of ideas by all those involved.

Mario Schiavone

Communications Coordinator

Education Ministry

Editorial note: The comment in the editorial referred to the fact that Mrs Cristina did not comment about the subject after Prof. Wain’s remarks. The paragraph mentioned by Mr Schiavone in fact starts with the phrase “Since then”, that is since Prof. Wain spoke during the Nationalist Party business breakfast last week.