"Balance is not something you find. It's something you create." - Jana Kingsford, Australian motivational author.

The virtual teaching that many of our educators have ably adopted during the pandemic was from day one intended to serve as a temporary alternative to traditional schooling. Their efforts and the keen interest and collaboration of both students and parents, is a proof of the resilience and adaptability of our country to new and emerging challenges.

Blended learning

The shift to online and blended learning in such a short span of time came about thanks to the immediate investment my Ministry made to ensure digital support and accessibility in individual homes and schools. Digital accessibility will always be a priority across all levels of the educational system.

Aware of the importance of strengthening internet accessibility for the long-term, we have recently moved a step further. Post-secondary school students are guaranteed access to free internet for an entire year with a €300 voucher. These vouchers were distributed electronically on the 19th of this month and are valid until the end of June 2021. This incentive and many others in place and in the pipeline are testimony of the Labour governments' commitment and determination to prepare our students and workforce for the challenges that lie ahead.

Shifting priorities

It is now clear that the education sector has changed and there is no going back. This sector is entering an era of disruption. A global survey conducted by the World Economic Forum reveals that seven out of ten adults worldwide think that, in five years' time, higher education will be divided between online and on-site learning. It also shows that we already have a sense that certain aspects of our lives have changed for good.

At the start of the pandemic, our concerns were on how to guarantee the continuity of learning processes using alternative methods that did not include school attendance. Now, we have the additional challenge of implementing a hybrid or blended model that includes a mix of face-to-face and virtual learning schemes. Blended learning has many advantages. Students have the flexibility of being able to take part in direct learning and asynchronous follow-up classes. Asynchronous learning describes educational activities, discussions and assignments that engage students in learning at their own pace, in their own time.

Holistic approach

Keeping in mind that in today's world - particularly in the post-Covid era - all of us, irrespective of our age, will be lifelong learners, blended learning has many advantages. A blended method of learning would help students to carry on with their work schedule and follow up on lectures or lessons they missed in their free time.

During the pandemic, virtual learning has proven to be crucial. However, we are understanding, now more than ever, the tried-and-tested benefits of group activities in a school setting. Whether extra- or co-curricular, all such activities are an important way of introducing our children to a wider world where teamwork and collective effort help to build a cohesive and inclusive society. Technology helps bridge the gap, but it cannot solve problems teachers face in classrooms.

Skills for life

Behavioural issues, student engagement and psychological problems need a teacher's personal touch. Teaching is more than simply relaying content. Teachers' talents and intuition are often essential for the wellbeing of a child or student. Classrooms and the whole school environment provide the context for a child's first relationship with the world outside the family home. Togetherness enables the development of social skills and interaction. Classrooms are places where respect and understanding of others grows. It is where students of diverse abilities and backgrounds accept each other and learn together when they play and socialise.

A blended education system could mitigate the effects of non-physical interaction in a classroom setting. A system that excludes and segregates could perpetuate discrimination against children who may already be marginalised. When education is holistic, it is more inclusive, and the essential concept of civic participation and community life help a child assimilate and learn to interact with their immediate peers and beyond. Educators and parents play an important role in this new post-Covid era. The closer they plan and work together, the more adaptable our children will become.

Joining forces

Along this course, Aristotle will always guide us through his teaching, stating that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Joint efforts are key to success. Our experiences during the pandemic have shown how important schools are to the country at large. It has also galvanised into action, parts of the community that traditionally were not actively involved in children's education. During shut-down, teachers linked with parents like never before and NGO's, businesses and the media joined forces with the government to contribute in supporting education in alternative ways.

This shows that education is at the very heart of our community as it is in most countries around the world. An ecosystem that supports our children's opportunity to learn both within a school environment and in the community is important for their wellbeing. It is my belief that the fabric of our community offers enriching learning experiences that round off a child's education in ways that school alone cannot do.

Recently the concept of 'local learning ecosystems' has emerged to describe learning opportunities provided through a web of collaboration among schools. It includes community organizations, businesses and government work together providing direct instruction with innovative pedagogies that allow for experimentation.

Closing the gap

Research suggests that young people that engage in different learning methods outside the school - from classic extra-curricular activities such as music lessons to non-formal education programming - help boost the skills and academic competencies of marginalised children. Our country is suitable for this method of learning. Our small size and close-knit communities are ideal and can offer life-wide learning opportunities to children and families with success. In this respect, the opportunities brought about by the pandemic could help to harness the new collaboration that is emerging between schools and the community to support our children's learning.

This process is better described by Alberto Villoldo, a Cuban-born psychologist and author: "We must think of ourselves as an international community that has come together with a common purpose of being initiated into the process.  We all have to do it together. There is a link that happens - where THE growth, my growth, depends on the others' growth around us.  We can no longer take these steps by ourselves. We have created a synergistic community. We must take a step towards knowledge together."

Beyond any doubt, during the past fourteen months in Malta and Gozo we have grown into such a process.  We now look ahead to adopt the benefits of togetherness in all sectors - our health, our children's education and, consequently, the country's future wellbeing.