The education and tourism mix

Education is a strong performer in tourism. The teaching of English as a foreign language is a money spinner for many and certainly helps produce jobs in various sectors of both the educational and tourism spheres. What is worrying is whether we are jealously protecting what we have without allowing unchecked expansion both in the number of schools and in the use of hotels for students.

According to the Minister of Education when replying to my parliamentary question 26849, there are no less than 2,332 teachers who have a temporary warrant to teach English as a foreign language. So far so good. However, it must be emphasised that a good number of these teachers only have a short course in TEFL teaching.

A Monitoring Board set up by the Education Division supervises these schools and the courses they hold. But is this enough? Is it fair to send young people with no teaching experience at all into a classroom to deliver a lesson to 14- to 17-year-old students who can be very unruly at times?

Better control is needed to ensure that the best quality teachers are sent to these schools. Would it be a good idea to have the Monitoring Board centralise courses so as to issue one standard certificate instead of having each individual school hold courses when some of them do not even employ those same people who have undergone a course? I believe that a serious study of this proposal would lead to higher standards and, therefore, better results for the foreign students.

It is obvious that there are not enough host families to cater for the thousands who visit our schools during the summer months. This is why some hotels are booked up with 200 to 300 students at a time. In many cases this is detrimental to the hotel trade in general and the hotel in particular as these boisterous students upset the other residents. Many letters have appeared in newspapers about this and some remedial action should be taken. A suggestion that can be looked at is that the larger hotels who usually take in students in large numbers could take over the many smaller hotels that have closed down or even lease small hotels that are still operating. This would ensure that the regular tourist will have peace and quiet while the young student can have a bit of fun without annoying anyone.

With regard to host families it is also essential that these are chosen carefully where English is spoken reasonably well, the food presented is of a high standard and where communication between members of the family and the student is constant. I have heard far too many stories where students complain about the lack of variety in food and the fact that many a time they are made to eat on their own without any possibility of their practising English.

My final point and perhaps a very important one too is the entertainment side of the foreign students. Some have events such as BBQs organised for them but there are far too many who just roam around entertainment areas, mainly Paceville and Bugibba/Qawra, drink heavily and cause far too much noise. The Family Minister issued a Legal Notice on July 1 which, among other things, bans children under 16 from buying and drinking alcohol and older persons from buying alcoholic drinks for them. Is this being adhered to?

Surely, if schools are in healthy competition in the number of students they attract, they can get together and organise joint entertainment for the younger students.

A new Labour government will build on and strengthen this slice of the market which contributes so much to the economy. It will also ask stakeholders to pool efforts to attract more specialised groups and individuals during the lean winter months. Malta is awash with students in the summer but these drop significantly in winter. This is why people who want to specialise in such subjects as medical, legal and sports English should be tapped.

Mr Abela is shadow minister for education, youth and culture.