I am penning this article immediately upon the announcement of the new Cabinet of Ministers by the Prime Minister, which saw the appointment of Minister Byron Camilleri as the new Education Minister. The same announcement included the appointment of Minister Clifton Grima as Justice Minister. 

I would like to thank Minister Clifton Grima for the extensive work carried out in the education sector. As communicated by the Union upon the announcement of the Cabinet, the highlight of Minister's Grima's term was the Sectoral Agreement for educators of 2023-2027 and the corresponding agreements for other educational entities. We shall remain grateful to Minister Grima for his work while wishing him the best for his new ministry.

The Union welcomed and congratulated Minister Byron Camilleri and offered its support and cooperation in the first communication with him following his appointment.  I have worked with five different Education Ministers in the past 15 years as a full-time MUT Official. Minister Camilleri shall be the sixth minister. The following is a non-comprehensive list of the current and possible future challenges that shall be faced by the new Minister and by the Union.

Inclusion

The current inclusion model, besides being challenging on educators is being challenged. Demands are being made to offer specialised education within the mainstream for all children irrespective of the resources of the school and the needs of all the students. Resources are stretched to the limit and educators are feeling overwhelmed by a system which is becoming both taxing as well as complicated to manage.

The endless demands and pressure on the system and on educators from all stakeholders is risking the collapse of the inclusion model and is increasing the fatigue level of educators in schools. Many students are losing their school entitlement owing to the current stretching of the model and are being frustrated day-by-day.

Assessment

The removal of examinations and their replacement with continuous assessment led to ongoing mini tests which are effectively replicating examinations with added frequency. The practice defeats the new assessment approach with rigid timeframes for multiple tasks which have shaped the teaching and learning process. Students are being assessed continuously in formal ways and the level of stress caused by this testing is on the increase.

Rather than moving towards a model where teaching, learning and assessment are a natural and integrated process, tasks-based teaching is being carried out. The outcomes-based approach is also contributing to this with syllabi becoming more rigid rather than offering space for creativity and for teacher-discretion on the teaching and learning process. Artificial Intelligence is also rocking assessment tasks, which shall lead to a major rethinking of assessment models. 

Infrastructure

The physical infrastructure of most schools is barely catering for the number of students who are attending school today, let alone when we consider the increase in the number of students which is projected in the next years. The unplanned increase in the foreign population in the past decade has stretched the physical resources of the schools to the limit.

The current number of schools is not enough, the number of classrooms are not enough, the outdoor areas are not enough and most schools are currently operating from sunrise to sunset to run pre-school and after-school programmes. This is becoming heavy on the school infrastructure. With the continuous use including during the summer months, most schools are still not equipped with air-conditioning systems leading to unbearable heat in the summer months. Some schools who have air conditioning installed cannot use the system in its entirety, as the power supply is not sufficient to run the equipment.

Initial training

From a sole initial training provider, the system evolved to multiple training providers which are competing with each other in a semi-regulated framework. The drive towards the Masters qualification for initial teacher training seems to have vanished with many providers opting to offer first degrees instead. The University of Malta, the main promoter of the teachers' Masters programme is also shifting away from the model through first degrees being offered instead, owing mainly to other providers offering first degrees as well. Initial teacher training is being devalued and the once clear direction for the sector is currently blurred. Furthermore, the level of qualifications of some private providers requires attention and regulation.

Recognising all educators

The Education Act of 1988 is the last legislation enacted which recognised educators - effectively leading to the warrant of teachers. Amendments to this act in the past years were meant to initiate the process towards the recognition of Kindergarten Educators and Learning Support Educators as professional in the education sector. However the amendments were never implemented and to-date KGEs and LSEs do not have a warrant/licensing provision, a code of ethics and a council which regulates the professions. The Council for the Teaching profession which currently regulates only teachers need to be expanded to cater for the other professions to enable the professionalization of KGEs and LSEs.

We can add more items to this list as the education system is very complex and the challenges are major. It is hoped that challenges which shall be addressed are carried out in full consultation with educators as the experts in the education provision of students.

Marco Bonnici is President of the Malta Union of Teachers