Education and EU membership: time to stand up and be accountable

The accession treaty signed by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami in Athens on April 16 marked the beginning of a new era in our history. We will soon become part of a larger community of European nations, some of which will be challenging our educational practices and standards; others will be testing our interdependence.

We must ensure that our educational standards are truly those that future generations require in meeting the challenges of compet-itiveness, workmanship and entrepreneurship. It is apposite to ask whether we are still anchored to a colonial mentality by which the so-called "old culture" in our educational system continues to dictate a way forward in retrospect.

What is it that will change with accession? What is it that must change? One thing is for sure: Malta's commitment to education requires rigorous standards, flexibility, accountability, investment and faith in local human resources.

Malta's educational system is a blend of endogenous and exogenous impacts on our culture. We managed to carve a niche among other nations in the world, which is distinct from any other. Despite our geographical position at the southern periphery of Europe and our geophysical size, the Maltese flag is recognised as representing a nation of European people who have actively witnessed the political evolution of the "old" continent.

There is certainly no inferiority complex in many of us when challenged intellectually, culturally, socially and politically. Paradoxically however, successive Maltese governments continue to inflict on many of our public sectors, the aura of foreign 'hand-holding'.

From an educational perspective, Malta has been in the forefront in introducing measures to ensure that our learning population be equipped with skills and knowledge to survive in a competitive world. Many of our young generation are well versed in the use of ICT.

Many schools have been equipped with the latest technology; most classrooms have been linked through Internet with the rest of the world; great expansion has occurred in the past 15 years at University; MCAST is aspiring to become a Vocational College of excellence; the private educational industry has blossomed over the past few years and many varied part-time and evening courses are now available all year round. Lifelong learning is here and now! People are more conscious of the benefits derived from a learning society.

Undoubtedly, this process carries a price! Students' satchels are getting heavier and so is their and their parents' responsibility to succeed; longer working hours are taking their toll; women are finding that careers outside the home are a necessary dimension to their lives, an investment for unknown or unpredictable futures but a burden on their family life; older people and those who have retired from work are keen to return to the centre of society, even if they must struggle to cope with change and innovation. Education has given Maltese citizens higher standards of living.

I think that in educating and preparing all generations for a competitive Europe, a Europe without political and economic frontiers and a Europe of defined standards, the following propositions may serve as a catalyst to much-needed educational reforms and policies:

Involve as many people and sectors as possible in education. No one should feel excluded from education. No sector of our population should remain silent when confronted with matters relating to formal or informal education. This includes civil society, the private sector, Church authorities and those who have a vested interest in Malta as a service economy. It is high time that such structured dialogues begin... seriously.

Strengthen local capacity for education. Local councils have made significant infrastructural changes in our community. Our physical environment has changed. The next step would be to empower them in the active participation of local civil groups committed to enhancing their local community on European levels through educational partnerships. It is time to take stock of unwarranted divisiveness, eradicate religious fanaticism and employ synergies in community-building projects. Schools in the locality could spearhead such initiatives.

Transform education into an entrepreneurial tool. Many of our younger generations are already aware that without an entrepreneurial mentality it will be difficult to survive in an open market such as the European market. Moving from a context of about 400,000 people to one which already has 500 million, demands preparedness. Learning to Learn theories of education in teacher training programmes are now part and parcel of ongoing training development programmes at various places of work.

Involvement in EU educational programmes is an excellent opportunity to take initiatives and to see them through. An Institute for Entrepreneurship at MCAST and/or University is needed to address these issues.

Transform the educational mould of our country. Our pattern is marked by excessive emphasis on academic subjects and formal teaching at the expense of basic communication and thinking skills. As a result, many cannot cultivate an intrinsic love for the Arts, sports or leisure activities. Young generations need to learn skills that help them cope with change, with the internationalisation of Malta, with innovative job opportunities, living abroad and living on a small island in an intercultural context. Accession in the EU now means that we are more exposed to new lifestyles, and new value-systems based on greater respect for diversity, human rights, civil obligations, fundamental freedoms and the pros and cons of a free market economy. This can prove exciting for some, but threatening to others!

Raise retention in the educational sector. We must make an enormous effort to keep as many individuals as possible in education. MCAST was brought back to life to fulfil this obligation and to ensure that adult learners achieve progression, cope with job mobility and seek new pastures if the old structures are not capable of sustaining their livelihood. More supportive learning environments need to be seriously set up to enhance employability and career progression, giving our workforce a new sense of security in terms of empowerment and capacity building. This would tie in with a revised strategy to curb unemployment of the employable.

Create dialogue between the providers of education. This is now inevitable. It is counterproductive for an economy such as ours to afford duplication of resources, empire building, sectorial initiatives and fragmented provision of education and training. Government educational organisations should be seen as complimentary and not as adversarial to each other. The market will be wide enough to accommodate as many initiatives as possible with a sense of rationalisation of resources, careful planning, diversification, co-ordination and inter-organisational inter-action.

Enhance professionalism. Not everything goes in education! A new sense of professionalism must now govern educational practices across all sectors of education. Standards must be monitored on a regular basis. Real quality control must be introduced across all levels of education from playschools to lecture rooms! No one should be spared from being accountable to his/her students, the shareholders and the taxpayer. If we must be credible, we ought to enforce flexibility and obligations.

Create an Education Authority. Malta needs an Education Authority that sets, regulates and audits standards of public, independent and private and Church education, defines targets, monitors co-ordination and enforces implementation. Its members should represent all stakeholders in a majority/minority shareholding status.

Strengthen non-governmental organisations. Training people to actively participate in NGOs is an important step towards an inclusive society on European standards. Providing facilities in educational institutions where NGOs can fulfil their mission is one way to help such initiatives empower the widest possible sections of our population.

Enforce Education Impact Assessments. Who is being taught where, how, what and by whom! Who is not being taught by whom? Research will serve no purpose if this is not put into policy and implemented. Education Impact Assessments are yardsticks that determine action within specific deadlines. Timeframes, resources and action are needed to implement the many recommendations of various conferences and seminars.

Encourage the corporate sector to invest more in education. Many rightly believe that the corporate sector must play a more effective and pro-active role in educating their future workforce. This means that government is obliged to seek measures to make the corporate sector pay a price, in kind or through internship schemes. Aware of the fact that this is currently being done at various levels of intensity and organisation, the corporate sector and educational authorities can create a structure that works, taking into account Malta's new European status and the challenges that lie ahead.

Create an Education Donors' Task Force. A culture of education would be possible if national and international donors and sponsors of educational activities become a recognised institution in Malta. The private sector may be willing to invest more when education compensates voluntary donations with quality. The main goal of this task force will be to bridge the divide between education and industry in an organised, systematic and professional way.

Prioritise on educational warnings issues such as illiteracy, bullying, examinations, curricula... These have had their share of attention for the past ten to fifteen years now. In a context such as the EU, warnings are there to be acted on professionally. While one recognises the fact that much has been done to eradicate illiteracy and bullying, design curricula [NMC] etc.., an office within the Education Division focusing on Educational Alerts can provide educational authorities with enough time to plan timely interventions.

Legislate an Education Standards Act. Malta cannot afford to cut corners on educational standards, accreditation and certification. We must legislate a New Education Act, strict standards across all levels of education on certification, professional training, academic performance, programme design, school environments, extra curricular activities, private lessons, homework, school uniforms, school transport, health and safety in educational institutions, dress codes, and other issues.

Partially privatise Government's education provision. The partial autonomy from central administration of a number of units within the public sector has helped curb bureaucracy, inertia and red tape, and act independently but effectively. Could such a service to our educational infrastructures be extended to incorporate as many areas as possible? The aim would be to make service provision for schools and other educational institutions more efficient and effective. An education impact assessment would also be needed to move forward.

Make Malta a centre of excellence for international students. Selling Malta as an educational destination will make our Islands competitive. The idea requires a professional commitment to ensure that visitors will take with them high academic and professional standards in their training and education. We must move away from the comfort of double-badging by setting up our own internationally recognised standards. Double-badging is a sign of weakness unless governed by reciprocity.

EU membership must be seen as an educational line of attack that we must eagerly and earnestly design to ensure that as many of us as possible meet challenges and take the opportunities that lie ahead. Education must now be seen as Malta's key change agent and a response to the new era in the coming years.

Dr Calleja is Malta's representative on the Socrates EU Sub-Committee on Higher Education.