Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that the educational curriculum needs to adapt to modern times and include subjects that provide students with a better understanding of values and how to address the realities and challenges faced in daily life, the Labour Party said in a statement.
Abela made this remark while participating in a discussion under the theme 'room4ideas,' alongside athlete Neil Agius and entrepreneur Donna Cardona.
Speaking about sports and physical education, the Prime Minister said that many children say that they have only one physical education lessen a week. "That response shocks me. Why in 2025 when the culture has moved forward, do we still have a curriculum that has not adapted itself to what is needed in society today?" He said some reply that they have up to three lessons a week, "which isn't bad", he added, but said that he believes there should be a PE lesson every day.
Abela said that Physical education and sports instills discipline which is used in other parts of ones life.
"If there is a promising swimmer, can he wake up at 5am to go swimming, then go to school, then go and train again in the evening? Instead of resting in the morning, that person has to wake up to go swimming because we have a curriculum that does not want to change from what it was traditionally. That is where we need to start stimulating ideas. For athletes, should we have a different curriculum? I know that there is ongoing work by the education ministry, but this is what we need to look at."
Regarding nutrition, he also questioned why children at younger ages are not being given a culture of the importance of good nutrition and how it helps in every day life to reduce illness.
Neil Agius shared his ideas on sports and mental health, among which he proposed the introduction of what is known as a "wellness package" in schools. This would consist of specific exercises designed to help students build more confidence in themselves and better address life's challenges and circumstances. The Prime Minister stated that this proposal could start as a pilot project and, if successful, could be implemented on a national scale.
Donna Cardona also expressed the desire for the curriculum to be revised to give students a better understanding of and education in entrepreneurial skills, the PL said. "While acknowledging the availability of good services for entrepreneurs to start businesses, she proposed that these services be consolidated into a single platform for those with innovative business ideas, such as social enterprises."
The Prime Minister said that the government is providing financial support and mentorship to those who wish to start a business. He cited the example of a company in Gozo that produces parts for a German automotive company. He said that the government is actively promoting young people's entrepreneurial ideas, which is making the job market more dynamic and leading to the creation of quality employment opportunities.
On the subject of mental health and the need to achieve a work-life balance, the Prime Minister mentioned that a strategy developed by a team of psychiatrists led to the allocation of €4.5 million in this year's budget to invest in community-based mental health services.
He stressed that the biggest obstacle to mental health is stigma, which is why the government's plan is to establish a mental health hospital next to Mater Dei Hospital to eliminate any distinction between patients receiving care in different facilities. The Prime Minister also noted that the CDAU (Child Development Assessment Unit) is providing an exceptional service, but that its relocation to a new building is in its final stages.
At the end of the discussion, the Prime Minister said that he would continue to discuss the proposals put forward by Neil Agius and Donna Cardona. He said that discussions of this nature help him and other decision-makers address today's challenges and realities. "He said by stating that no other country has human resources as strong as Malta's, which is why the government is focused on investing in people and creating opportunities that will translate into prosperity for all Maltese and Gozitans."