Quality of pre-school time makes a difference

In Malta value-added effectiveness research has been conducted which has considered the impact of pre-school education on the attainment of basic skills.

The results, which converge with results from similar studies abroad, make it clear that the quality of the pre-school experience is a strong predictor of later attainment and subsequent progress in school. High quality pre-school programmes boost the achievement of young children as they prepare them better for the academic demands of formal education.

The provision of high quality pre-school programmes is essential. The impact of pupils' personal and family characteristics and the opportunities to learn made available to them by teachers also need to be considered.

Research shows that the time made available for pupils to learn distinguishes the more effective schools from the less effective ones. In more effective schools where pupils register more progress, teachers have to deal with decreased disruption because the schools are usually better organised. Lessons, particularly those in the basic skills, tend to be longer than the customary 45 minutes. More effective schools 'find' the time but need not necessarily 'add-on' time. The focus is on depth of the curriculum rather than on its breadth, as tends to be the case in Malta.

The implementation of a reception class programme, which seeks to offer a more informal and solid preparation for basic skills like literacy and numeracy, should not necessarily imply an additional year of compulsory schooling.

Let us continue to make the existing years, namely the second year of kindergarten and the first year of primary, more child-friendly, with increased opportunities for the acquisition of the basic skills in a positive environment with higher expectations for success. In the context of our small island, where social mobility is more clearly and directly linked to educational and job opportunities, the delaying of the school-leaving age will seem to be a hindrance for young people eager to continue their studies or to join the labour market.

We should continue to strive towards more high quality programmes in the early years which ensure that all our children are given the best chance of attaining the basic skills. Perhaps when the election campaign and rhetoric have died down, we will be able to have a more sensible debate and common sense will prevail.