“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities. We have hopes and dreams which can be translated into the greater strength for our nation and beyond.” - John F. Kennedy

As Minister of Education, my duties go beyond the day-to-day running of a busy and challenging ministry. In fact, I am routinely engaged in discussions with ambassadors from diverse countries who come to the Ministry as part of their customary diplomatic duties to newly appointed ministers. Needless to say, during these events I take the opportunity to explore and seek feasible forms of cooperation between the Ministry and foreign diplomats in matters concerning education.

High standards & adaptability

From the outset I feel proud that as a country we can boast of a high-calibre education system that over the years has progressed to such levels that it can serve as a benchmark to education systems in other countries. The high standards we enjoy here in Malta are attributed to the hard work, innovation and diligence with which our educators and administrators perform their duties. I can vouchsafe that in my regular meetings, one thing stands clear – our educators and administrators go beyond their call of duty and put in hours of work in their free time. Their dedication and drive have proven to be a blessing in these trying times. Their foresight and brilliant adaptatability has ensured that our children, unlike in other countries, are still attending school despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Resilience is in our blood. It is what makes us stand out as a nation. Tiny Malta, despite the pandemic, is adapting to this new reality. Thanks to the Labour Government’s foresight and determination, we are able to continue to push forward our roadmap. The implementation of our electoral manifesto remains top of the agenda. In fact, a majority of the projects laid down in the manifesto are either finalised or in the process of being concluded.

Diplomatic relations

We are open to learn new methods but we are already implementing innovative ways to fight the pandemic. At the same time we are carrying on with our original plans for the country. These are all noted, particularly in my meetings with the diplomats and by my foreign counterparts. It is clear that unlike in other countries, our mantra is never ‘austerity’ but rather, prosperity with a purpose!

Indeed, I am proud of the fact that tiny Malta was the first country in Europe to provide free laptops, tablets and internet to all our students when Covid-19 hit. We are bridging the digital divide way before many other countries. Why is this so? It is because the Government I am part of had the foresight to focus on launching our country into the fourth revolution way back in 2013.

It is also because this government has tapped into the most precious resource we have got - our human resources. We might be tiny but we are blessed with brilliant minds and adaptable people. As Minister for Education I have been in touch with many of such individuals and I can assure you that our educators, administrators and parents – our children’s front-liners – are at the forefront in ensuring that future generations will continue to excel and pass on this precious commodity for years to come.

Helping others

Resilience and adaptability are not the only traits that define us as a nation. Our generosity and altruism compels us to extend our hand in friendship and cooperation with countries beyond our shores. A case in point is a recent venture with our neighbours and counterparts in Libya.

Together with my colleague Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, I held talks in Libya last month with a view to offer cooperation by the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST). This will be in the form of assistance in English teaching as well as educational programmes designed to build personal skills and values with a view towards job creation and the resolution of problems and disputes without resorting to violence.

During the past week follow-up bilateral meetings in Malta led to an agreement by both governments through which Malta will offer learning and training opportunities to the Libyan people. We underlined the fact that our education sector and educational institutions are robust and have a vast experience and so we can promote our country as an educational destination. But more than that, we can export our experience, expertise, and knowledge, thus expressing another form of solidarity with our close neighbours. Both MCAST and the University of Malta were also in the day-long talks that led to the bilateral agreement.

As Minister Evarist Bartolo reiterated, the agreement further confirms Malta’s commitment to continue working for a united Libya, led by Libyans in the interests of Libyans. He stressed that education is the best tool to achieve this goal. We want to ensure a well-educated generation and one that is well prepared to strengthen their bilateral economies, cultures and progress - thus ensuring stability in this central region.

Our social partners

It is very important that the Ministry for Education works together with all the social partners so that our education system nurtures and empowers our young people to reach their fulfilment.  Education is a fundamental right to personal intellectual enrichment but it also enables our students to join the workforce with the skills necessary to address their own needs and those of the economic sectors. There is no doubt that education is for life but also for a decent living.

These were my basic thoughts when meeting the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry’s delegation during the past week.  The Chamber put forward various suggestions related to the education sector whilst proposing topics for further discussion. I referred to a study I have commissioned with an aim to review how educational institutions can be further strengthened to continue to offer high level courses. We need to work towards having more synergies between the authorities and other entities to ease accreditation processes and also to further improve the promotion of our educational institutions. Our aim is to achieve the government’s strategy of making our islands a learning hub for the Mediterranean region and beyond.

Our nation and beyond

Meeting and discussing with our social partners helps us coordinate our focus on the skills gap so that the economic sectors operating from these islands are able to find a trained workforce.  Our educational structures will continue to provide the necessary training for personal development, thus leading to more flexibility and providing a wider choice of jobs and more opportunities for workers.

I am determined to keep the Labour Government's momentum in placing our education system at the forefront of all our local platforms and international fora.  We all have personal dreams and together we have our national aims - our human capital will always be our strength. As American author Carmen Agra Deedy once said ‘because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort.'  Together we can overcome all hurdles – solidarity, generosity and unity are key to our continued survival as one global village.