Malta's PISA results should prompt a "hard look" at the direction of the country's education system, PN leader Alex Borg said, as he called for greater emphasis on developing students' critical thinking skills and for educators and students to be involved in charting the way forward.

Speaking during a discussion on education at the start of the school year, Borg said that when a country fails to invest fully in education, it fails to invest in its future.

He said that the findings of the recent PISA report should prompt a hard look at the direction Malta's education system is taking, with the need to develop students' critical thinking skills and involve educators themselves in shaping education policy.

Malta performed badly in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study.

The PISA assessment, carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), measures how well 15-year-olds can apply their knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics and science. Maltese students scored significantly below the OECD average in all three areas.

He said education is the foundation of society and must be a government priority if the country wants to build a strong society.

Education should not be a partisan issue, Borg said, but requires a collective effort to ensure it meets today's needs and gives students the tools they need. In doing so, he said, Malta will nurture citizens with the skills to take the country forward.

He said that when Malta invested in aviation training, it succeeded in attracting investment to the sector, he said, arguing that the country should take the same approach to shape the economic future it wants.

The PN leader referred to two visits he made this week to schools in Ta' Kerċem, Gozo. The first was to BELS English language school, which draws on quality tourism seeking services in Malta. The second was to Santa Tereża Primary School, where teachers stressed the importance of being consulted when education policies are drawn up.

He said that, alongside investment in educators, the country must ensure that educators and students have comfortable, modern and well-equipped places in which to teach and learn.

Asked about education in Gozo, Borg said it still faces several challenges.

The University of Malta and MCAST campuses in Gozo offer a limited range of courses, meaning students must travel to Malta for many courses, he said.

He also spoke about the financial pressures on Gozitan students studying in Malta and subsidies which, he said, no longer reflect today's realities.

Shadow Minister for Education and Citizenship Jerome Caruana Cilia also addressed the PISA findings, which showed that Maltese students are struggling with basic skills.

In reading and science in particular, Maltese students recorded their worst results in 16 years, he said.

Caruana Cilia said that while the country should not base everything on the report alone, it must take seriously what PISA and other education research show if it is to build a stronger education system.

A national conference on education could provide a clearer direction for the future, he said.

With state schools reopening on Monday, Caruana Cilia asked whether the government could guarantee that all the necessary teachers and resources would be in place.

The discussion, held at the Għajnsielem Local Council library, also featured Christine Scerri, an educator and former Head of School, and Anna Maria Gatt, a lecturer in Sport and Physical Education at MCAST.

Scerri said that education does not take place only at school, and that what happens in schools reflects what is happening in society.

She said today's work pressures leave parents with less time to spend with their children, creating greater challenges for educators.

She also spoke about inclusion and the challenges that remain, the need for a much longer-term vision for education and the importance of a serious discussion about keeping education relevant today.

Gatt said that physical education is a compulsory subject with many benefits. Students themselves, she said, recognise the skills and benefits it offers, including the social side of lessons, the opportunity to express themselves and a more open, community-oriented setting.

She called for greater collaboration between schools and organisations with sports facilities to give students more opportunities to be physically active.

At the closing of the discussion, Borg wished all students and educators a successful year.