Educators as well as those who work with children are well aware of the fact that children's basic and real needs are not being met, and yet such needs are on the increase, the ADPD-Greeen Party said Saturday. 

The need for timely and sincere discussion for long-term solutions is now more urgent than ever, not only concerning educational issues but also social and community issues,  ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said.  This is why circulars restricting educators from having their voice heard on such issues is so contradictory.

"We are not going to make populist statements that go nowhere," she said.  "We know that we have many children who feel hurt because of exclusion in many different forms.  The need for genuine and open dialogue is long overdue.  What happened can neither be viewed with a limited perspective focused only on discipline, nor can schools be viewed as places that can solve all of society's problems, problems which have festered for a long time and are certainly not new. 

"This situation demands that we look in the mirror and examine how current social and economic structures are pushing people into these unfortunate situations.  The suggestions posited by those who seem to know better, transforming our schools into prisons using metal detectors and retired soldiers, do not address the root cause.  It would, however, give a dangerously false sense of security.  It would contribute to instilling fear in our children and a sense of continuous attack, which would do very little for their mental health."

We fully support the need for schools to be a space where students do not feel that they are just a number, she added.  We recognise that whilst there are a thousand good intentions and many fruitful initiatives, the sheer size of our schools are not helping our students to feel part of a larger community.  There is the need for smaller schools, well-equipped with adequate psychosocial resources and that are able to work closely with third-party service providers. 

For some children, school is one of the few places where they can experience shelter, attention and a sense of belonging. Schools need room for flexibility to fulfil this role.  This incident should be an opportunity for our country to collectively look in the mirror and examine our conscience as to what are our priorities, and if they are based on wellness, justice, and inclusion for everyone.