Moviment Graffitti said Wednesday it is firmly against the agreement recently signed between the Minister of Education and the Independent Schools Association (ISA). This agreement will divert more public resources for the exclusive use of private schools.

This agreement signed mid-July provides significant improvement in the income and conditions for educators working in public and church schools - the government had promised significant improvements in the conditions for educators, and today educators have the best agreement ever. 

Local statistics, Graffitti said, show that the vast majority of families who send their children to private schools are among those least in need of subsidies. In addition to public resources and tax incentives, the government will also subsidise the fees paid to these schools. Private schools operate as profit-making businesses, and it is unjust for taxpayers to subsidise private profits.

By investing more in private schools, the government is acting contrary to what is needed, the NGO said. According to international exam results - such as PISA - children in these schools already perform much better than those in public schools, for various reasons. We feel that as long as the government fails to address these systemic issues in the educational sector, the Maltese educational system can never be fair and equitable.

Local and international research indicates that the "free choice" mentioned by Minister Clifton Grima primarily benefits privileged individuals, as families with insufficient income are automatically excluded from this choice. If even a "socialist" government does not prioritise public services over private ones, who will? Public service should be paramount and accessible to all.

An educational model that categorises children even before they step through the school door is not an inclusive model. This model is discriminatory, and the government continues to reinforce it rather than address it, the NGO added.

"We believe that the €26 million earmarked for private education should have been invested in public schools. The government must collaborate with the best entities specialising in education to design an inclusive, fair, and dignified model for a modern society," Graffitti said.