The Ministry for Education has said that many ideas in a policy document for a more human-centred education, drafted by ethics teacher Luke Fenech, are already being pursued or are aligned to the National Education Strategy.

Last week, Fenech spoke to The Malta Independent on Sunday about the 100-policy document he compiled, titled the 'Manifesto of Hope,' which recommends proposals for a more human-centred education system.

Fenech called for a fundamental rethink of Malta's education system, warning that it is merely preparing students for the job market at the expense of their personal growth.

The Malta Independent sent questions to the Education Ministry, asking whether it had formally received or reviewed Fenech's policy document, and why the Ministry had not engaged with him after he had repeatedly reached out.

It was also asked if the Ministry will offer Fenech and other educators to discuss human-centred reforms, and whether the Ministry accepted Fenech's statement that students are being narrowed down to "prospective workers," rather than being nurtured as human beings.

In reply, an Education Ministry spokesperson said that the Ministry was pleased to receive Fenech's 'Manifesto of Hope,' adding that it was formally requested and received on the same day it was published, and a meeting with Fenech has taken place.

"This was a very constructive meeting, during which the Ministry was able to discuss his ideas in relation to the ongoing educational reforms," the spokesperson said.

"Many of the ideas articulated in the Manifesto are for the most part already being pursued or are aligned to the National Education Strategy - interdisciplinary based learning, ethics, student voice etc," the Ministry spokesperson said.

He said that the Ministry is also happy to continue to plan and pilot further approaches that are evidence-based and scalable.

"The vision of the Ministry is clear: an education system that builds on future skills to balance human-centred student growth, and empowers every learner to pursue their passions, grow creativity, and become active citizens to realize their potential," the Ministry said.

He said that the Ministry for Education is wholly committed to creating an education system that helps develop the whole person (academically, socially, emotionally, ethically etc.).

The spokesperson said that a year ago, the Ministry began a process of reform to help deliver upon this vision, including the introduction of School-Based Assessment, moving beyond exams and instead assessing knowledge and competencies on what it means to be a student, including: skill mastery, working together, creativity, and more.

He added that the Ministry established the Secondary School Qualification and Profile (SSQ&P) to provide recognition of voluntary work, sports, arts and other extracurricular activities; implementing an average of five Physical Activity lessons per week at each State College from this scholastic year onwards, to embed wellbeing and healthy lifestyles into students' everyday lives.

The spokesperson said that these reforms form part of the National Education Strategy 2025-2030, developed after consultation with various stakeholders, and aligned to the outputs from the Malta Education Foresight Forum (MEFF), with a Transformation Hub that has been in place since 2024 to offer a permanent stakeholder platform for educators, parents, and learners to contribute to shape policies.

The spokesperson said that building on this foundation, a nationwide survey with teachers, parents, and learners will be launched this September, and in October a major conference with the OECD and local stakeholders will take place in the context of Vision2050.

"These processes ensure that feedback and new ideas are not only heard but also integrated into Malta's long-term education transformation," he said.

The Ministry spokesperson said that at the centre of this vision is the Family Community School Link (FCSL) Programme, which builds relevant linkages connecting schools, families, and community to remove barriers to learning and engagement while also providing additional opportunities.

"This initiative is person-centred, always focused on the individual learners and the unique environments, aspirations, and relationships around them," the spokesperson said.

"The human-centred view recognizes people in general, while person-centred is durably more important because it identifies each student's lived reality and personal experiences to build education policies and practices aimed toward individual responses, inclusion, and individual transformation," the Ministry spokesperson said.