Read between the lies

Instead of putting forward ideas and initiatives on how to improve education in Malta, the Labour Party's political adversaries are spreading three main lies to try and discredit it. They are saying that a Labour government would sack the hundreds of facilitators who assist disabled children in our schools; that a Labour government would close down the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and that a Labour government would remove the present stipend system for post-secondary and University students.

The systematic campaign of spreading lies and hate against the Labour Party will continue in the coming weeks. The MLP's political adversaries do not want citizens to reflect soberly and vote rationally at the next general election. They are carrying out a scaremongering and hate campaign. Their message is: whatever our failings, pass them over and vote for us because Labour is much worse. They do not want people to analyse Labour's real proposals. So they simply fabricate false ones to scare people away from the MLP.

During the past four and a half years, the Labour Party, in Parliament and outside it, monitored the education sector, supported what it considered the right initiatives, criticised what it considered steps in the wrong direction and proposed alternatives. Up to the last sitting before Parliament was dissolved Labour MPs tabled questions (such as PQs 38,808, 38,809 and 38,657) on crucial educational issues.

A Labour government will take all the necessary steps to make our schools really inclusive, committed to embrace all the children attending them and equipped to reach all children, not to let any of them fall behind. It will fund new courses for facilitators and kindergarten assistants with children with disabilities or learning difficulties to ensure that they have adequately prepared persons taking care of them and helping them move ahead. We will ensure that all schools put inclusive education as the main objective in their school development plans and monitor their implementation.

We want our schools and our education system to become more child-friendly. The Health, Education and Welfare Ministries will work hand in hand to provide the necessary support for heads, teachers and facilitators in schools. We will work in partnership with the school councils, local councils, entrepreneurs, unions and non-government organisations inspired by the wise Indian proverb that "it takes a whole community to educate a child".

New crucial role for MCAST

The political adversaries of the Labour Party are spreading the lie that a Labour government would dismantle MCAST. The MLP has already drawn up an action plan to put MCAST on a more solid footing. The Nationalist government has overpromised and underdelivered by first declaring that MCAST would provide universal access to all young people applying to join it and then slamming the door in the face of hundreds of students. The Labour Party commits itself to enhance the facilities at MCAST to meet the expectations of all young people who want to continue studying after completing their secondary education.

The Labour Party has already had very constructive meetings with MCAST governors and administrators, discussing the problems and challenges of the college. The MLP proposes that the way forward for MCAST would be to work in partnership with the Employment and Training Corporation, private and public companies and the University to avoid waste, duplication and to maximise financial and human resources. MCAST and the University should move closer and steps would be taken to facilitate student mobility between the two institutions and ensure that MCAST students can continue further studies at the University by having their courses at MCAST recognised as fulfilling the necessary entry requirements at the University.

A Labour government will forge new links between the education and business sectors at every level as a sound and relevant education system is indispensable to wealth creation. MCAST has a crucial role to play in this area. A Labour government will take steps to involve MCAST in government area secondary schools where at present over 90 per cent of teenagers attending them complete their education without passing Secondary Education Certificates (SEC) exams in Maltese, English and Mathematics. The Labour Party will overhaul these schools, introduce new syllabi, new vocational subjects (like tourism studies, catering, basic engineering) and new teaching methods based on learning by doing. MCAST would give an essential contribution in this process and would also be given a role in the Matsec board to set up new Sec exams in vocational subjects.

Liberating education from VAT

The third lie being spread by the political adversaries of the Labour Party is that the next Labour government would change the present stipend system. The present system was introduced after the Nationalist government set up the Galdes Commission. During the 1998 election campaign the PN had promised students and parents that the stipend system would revert to what it was before the Labour government reformed it into a half-grant and a half-loan system.

The reform was carried out to make the system sustainable because of the dire straits in which the Nationalist government left public funds in 1996. Although the Nationalist government removed the half-loan system, University graduates will still have to pay back the public debt of over Lm1,500 million it accumulated recklessly with an exuberant Finance Minister saying that he was not worried by public debt "as there will be our children to pay it back".

When the Galdes Commission published its report it recommended that the present stipend system be reviewed after five years and it did not rule out more radical changes to it. Will a Nationalist government review the stipend system? In which direction? The MLP commits itself to keep the present stipend system for post-secondary and University students.

Although nominally the Nationalist government increased the stipend and introduced the Smart Card to help students meet their educational expenses, students have had to face rising costs in the last four years. And educational expenses are set to rise if the majority decides to vote in the party of more of the same on April 12. In the last four years, thousands of students were deprived of the extra income they used to earn in their holidays under the summer work scheme. The last four years have higher prices for books and educational material. They are set to rise further as a Nationalist government would have to comply with the EU directive and introduce VAT on books and printed matter.

A new Labour government will not only not introduce VAT on books and printed matter but it will also remove VAT on education. Thousands of students and their families will benefit from this. The tax burden will be lifted from all educational establishments: Church, private and government schools and the VAT they are paying at present can be invested in educational resources.

Instead of allowing a sober public debate on the way forward in education, Labour's political adversaries, lacking new initiatives and energy, are simply indulging in a systematic campaign of scare-mongering and lies.

evaristbartolo@hotmail.com