Getting a good education is essential in today’s world.

Be it aiming for a degree in some subject or undergoing vocational training, all students should aim to continue in their education.

As a Gem16+ educator and guidance counsellor told The Malta Independent on Sunday, not all youths mature at the same level, and he is absolutely right.

At age 16, youths sit for their O-levels. They then need to decide what subjects they want to learn for their A-levels (or equivalent), which in turn would be needed to continue on in further education, with courses requiring specific subjects to have been achieved.

It’s a lot to take in when we are young. Some students know exactly what they want, and draw out a path to their goal. Others don’t know what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and that is ok to. Some students take a gap year after concluding their A-levels to try out different jobs to see which one suits them best.

There are also some students who struggle earlier on, when sitting for their o-levels, but this does not mean they should give up. Far from it.

Karl Galea, the educator mentioned earlier, said that one must do away with the mentality that 16 is a cut-off age in which everyone has to be mature and at the same level. He also told this newsroom that there are many reasons why someone may have had trouble with obligatory schooling, such as personal issues and a lack of interest or motivation, among others. “Should that mean that because of these issues that’s it, you can’t continue studying?”

Absolutely not, students can, and should continue with their education.

The GEM16+ education programme was set up for students who leave compulsory schooling without formal (MATSEC) qualifications giving them a second opportunity of succeeding in an academic route, the EduMalta website reads. “A core curriculum, consisting of Maltese, English, Maths, ECDL or Physics or Biology, prepares students to sit for the SEC examinations. These academic subjects are complimented with P.E. and PSD to form a holistic programme.  Various activities are organised to instill self-confidence and enrich their experiences.”

Galea said that the project began initially because there was a noticeable trend of many students finishing secondary school while lacking the basic skills necessary to continue their academic studies and were faced with a lack of alternatives for their academic future. “Its role is essentially to be that missing step in the process for students who have completed Form 5 and did not get the O Levels necessary to continue their academic studies in certain post-secondary options.”

Sometimes such a chance can help sort out priorities, support the students in learning, and help in the decision making process. After all, it’s not easy to decide what one wants to do in their future.

Galea believes there should be a greater push and emphasis on the fact that if someone hasn’t necessarily succeeded by Form 5, it is okay that they may need another year or two of steady guidance and teaching to further their studies. He said that these students would benefit by spending a year with the programme and getting accustomed to the post-secondary system while studying to earn their O Levels. Galea is spot on here. If a student is struggling to continue on in education because of problems they faced when sitting for their o-levels, don’t give up.

Galea was also asked for his thoughts regarding whether or not the education system, as it currently is, can be considered at fault for the level of anxiety among students, as well as whether the general attitude of teachers, politicians and parents is affecting student motivation overall. He agreed that unfortunately, the education system still follows the mindset of “one-size-fits all mentality – it’s as if there is this shoe which you begin wearing at primary, and whether it’s too big or too small, you simply have to wear it, and if you don’t want to do that then you are considered a failure”. He said that this is an incorrect mentality which has always been present and has never changed. “I think everyone has to carry part of the blame, including educators. Politicians, with all due respect, live in a bubble and often don’t necessarily understand the education sector.” As this newsroom has said in the past, students learn differently from one another. We should find ways to help improve the education system to reflect this more.

While on the topic of education, we should all continue to learn throughout our lives. Methods and techniques constantly get updated and, if we can stay on top of things, we could advance in our selected lines of work. Life-long learning helps also helps us branch out or specialise should we want to. Education shouldn’t end when we graduate.