Reception or repeaters?

When I was a following the B Ed. course at the University, lecturers were continuously bombarding us with terms like holistic education, less exam-oriented education, bridging the curriculum, giving more weight to non-academic subjects and so forth - theories and plans which on paper sounded really challenging and interesting, but were miles away from our educational system, especially in state schools.

The Maltese system is at fault. Kids are being bombarded daily to learn how to read and write, then pressured to get full marks and obviously a prize, later on forced to study to pass their Junior Lyceum exam or Common Entrance Exam, and more than that sent to extra lessons to pass their O- and A-levels. Nobody is realising that this bombardment starts at the age of two and ends at 18.

The idea of a reception class is just part of a plan that can give a real new direction to our school system. A reception class can train pupils to be better prepared for the first year of primary schooling, a system that can give children more self-esteem. A system that over a number of years, can help to teach more drama, music, social skills and sports in our schools. This, after all, is a system that B.Ed. students discussed and are discussing on university benches and one used all over Europe.

I am surprised that very few University lecturers have expressed their support for this plan. Where are those who, between 1990 and 1994, lectured me and many others on these issues? Are they scared to express their opinion?

And what about the Malta Union of Teachers? Can it tell us whether it was consulted or not? I would say that the MUT should be glad that the idea of a reception class opens the door for more teaching jobs and puts less stress on primary school teachers.

The reception class is not a class for repeaters; it is our stale education system, which has never changed for years, which needs to be a repeater. It failed to update itself and is not reaching its present objectives. As a parent and a teacher, I would like to see new plans for a modern local education system implemented.