Ariadne Massa
Grandparents remain best childcare option for Maltese
Government challenges EU report
Malta may be failing miserably in the provision of childcare facilities compared with other EU states, but the vast majority of Maltese would still prefer to leave children with their grandparents even if they had alternatives.
Just over 68 per cent of parents believe grandparents are the most suitable form of childcare after the mother, with just a quarter putting their trust in childcare facilities, according to a recent Employment and Training Corporation study, conducted by Economic and Management Consultancy Services.
The traditional family model still prevails in Malta and this study shows that 53 per cent of respondents are of the opinion that mothers of children under three should not be in employment.
"It is a reality that the majority of parents of children below the age of three still prefer not to make use of childcare facilities, due to strong family bonding," a spokesman for the Education Ministry said.
Reacting to last week's article in The Sunday Times, which exposed Malta as one of the worst performers in childcare services in the EU, the spokesman said that although attitudes were changing, it was still a custom in Malta for children under three to be brought up at home by the mother.
The spokesman also challenged the findings of the European Commission's report, which placed Malta at the bottom of the EU table on childcare services for children aged three up to mandatory school age.
Referring to 2007 data from the National Statistics Office, he said that 86.5 per cent of children aged three to five attended childcare facilities, which was higher than the EU benchmark of 84 per cent.
"There is certainly a statistical error in the percentage of children attending childcare facilities (57 per cent) as quoted in the Commission's report, which is based on 2006 data. There was no increase of 29.5 per cent in one year in the number of children attending childcare facilities, so something must be wrong," he said.
Moreover, he said, the government was committed to continue building more childcare centres and, through public-private partnerships, to ensure the possibility for mothers to return, or join, the workforce.
A spokesman for the Social Solidarity Ministry said that over the past three years there had been a concerted effort to increase childcare facilities in Malta through EU-funded schemes, public- private partnerships, and training.
The lack of childcare services was blamed by the Commission as one of the main reasons why Malta had the lowest rate of women working in the EU - 38.5 per cent.
According to the Lisbon targets, Malta had to almost double female employment to 60 per cent by 2010. However, according to Sina Bugeja, executive director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, it was highly unlikely Malta would reach these targets before 2016.
"We started working on this issue at a very late date compared to other European countries, even though we are now measured with the same instrument. Although progress is being registered, I still think we will not achieve our targets by 2010," she said.
Investment in education was beginning to tip the balance, she said, referring to the Prime Minister's statement earlier this week when he said that female employment in the 15 to 25 age bracket had surpassed the EU average (40 per cent) by eight per cent.
Women in Malta have long been hearing of promises of proper childcare facilities and improved infrastructure. Was it all sweet talk, without the political will?
"The will is there, but the general expectations may be too high, which include the notion of free childcare... A private-public partnership will go a long way in this regard, but of course payment has to be part of the equation," Ms Bugeja said.
If a system was introduced where parents could pay according to their income, it would be more manageable and possibly fairer.
Since kindergartens accepted children when they turned three, Ms Bugeja felt the remaining gap requiring more focus was in the age group from birth up to three, which was very staff intensive and probably more expensive.
She felt one of the major obstacles prohibiting women from entering the labour force full-time was the short schooling hours and the long holidays.
"We don't want the emphasis on the schooling hours to impinge on the current working conditions of teachers... but this merits a very serious discussion, now."
A study carried out by ETC had clearly indicated that if the support structures were in place, many more women would consider entering the job market.
"There are many individuals who are too ready to play on women's guilt complex when they are working and bringing up a family.
"However, I believe that while struggling with this, many will still find their way in the world of work and make a success of their lives and of their families," Ms Bugeja said.
Asked whether employers had warmed up to the concept of flexitime, she said there were those who had changed their working practices not to lose employees, but others still had an unacceptable attitude.
Anna Borg, chairman of the Malta Confederation for Women's Organisations, said parents using childcare centres would continue to increase if they were convinced their children were in a safe and stimulating environment.
The way forward, she said, was making it possible for women to go to work without asking them to choose between their job and their family.
"Men are never faced with this dilemma because most of the family burdens are left for women to carry. Until we have adequate structures and services that will alleviate that burden, and until work becomes more flexible, women will continue to be faced with this zero sum game and will continue to have constrained choices not real ones," she said.
Frances Camilleri-Cassar, social science research specialist, said the policy initiatives were still dominated by the idea that reconciling work and family meant improving conditions for women to do both.
"Although State policies may be seen as enabling gender equality, in practice they are trapped in the traditional way," she said.
Dr Camilleri-Cassar pointed out that the government had implemented fiscal measures to attract women into the labour market. "However, even when Malta has recognised the need for the provision of childcare, the state still keeps its distance from financing and organising the service," she said.
Malta's response to a longstanding demand for the provision of childcare was to publish a document on national standards for child day care facilities in July 2006.
"More than two years on, no attempt has yet been made to discuss a national childcare policy, and enforcement of the national standards for child day care is still on paper."
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Melissa Bagley
Oct 15th 2008, 09:09
What I would like to see is another incentive - what about allowing parents to take leave when their children are sick? When sick, children are not supposed to be sent to day care/schools, with good reason, but I think the challenges that working parents face today are somehow pushing them into unacceptable situations. So feign sickness and take sick leave? It's pathetic that we have to resort to these things. And not all grandparents stay at home - many go to work themselves.
Until I see some REAL GENUINE changes in the way the government does things - and i am not talking MLPN - I will just cut my voting document into tiny pieces every time there is an election. Sadly enough, that is the only thing that (may) work here.
Jean-Pierre Aquilina
Oct 12th 2008, 22:53
"Men are never faced with this dilemma because most of the family burdens are left for women to carry. "
Some women appear to be detached from reality and fail to realise or acknowledge that there are men who share the family burden with equally their wives. I am one such man, and proud of it too.
"Until we have adequate structures and services that will alleviate that burden, and until work becomes more flexible, women will continue to be faced with this zero sum game and will continue to have constrained choices not real ones,"
Again, men are left out of the equation. The fact that such women are fighting for mother (rather than family) friendly measures is making the husband's job more difficult in working reduced hours, for example, as employers tend to understand that such measures are designed exclusively for mothers.
From my experience, in general it is rather difficult for a man to apply for family friendly measures. It is this imbalance that needs to be addressed - not designing systems that expect the woman to be a wife, mother, bread earner, taxi driver - well, everything.
Martin portelli
Oct 12th 2008, 22:20
We have been propagating a myth regarding Maltese women on the labour market. That Maltese mothers were always housebound looking after their children was not a reality in a number of communities for centuries. It would have been true of some city dwellers but less so in rural communities with thriving cottage industries , entrepreneurial motivation or husbands who absconded. Such women always relied on the extended family. That Maltese women suddenly arrived on the labour market 40 years ago is a fallacy. It is an unfortunate myth propagated by a patriarchal society, which consistently promoted ‘the woman at home’ narrative while obscuring the other reality. The extended family has been much maligned for decades now, considering that it is the only reliable institution providing childcare. This didn't start in the late sixties or the seventies, but was a practice that benefited the 'family' in a larger sense. We seem to have decided that someone else's model of the family is more appropriate than a home grown one, hence bash the extended family and promote the nuclear family. Why wouldn’t parents trust their own parents to look after their children, did we all grow up in dysfunctional families?
T Briffa
Oct 12th 2008, 19:53
where do I start? first of all we are getting a bit tired of everyone trying to push mothers out of their own front door into the world of work just for the statistics. I personally cannot survive, physically or mentally, without working. But not everyone is like that!. Some mothers have the vocation to be stay-at-home mums or maybe they just believe it strongly and want to give it their best shot. Leave them be! Who cares what the rest of Europe are doing, can we have a little individuality pls? Everyone knows the Maltese still value family quite a bit. And I think that is also the main reason we gladly accept our parents' offer to care for our infants. Before two and a half it's so much safer for the kids to be surrounded by the love of the "nanniet". After that it's good to nurture social skills and start with the childcare and kinder soon after. Schools are very unpractical though - what's with this finishing at 12noon in summer? How about offering teachers who would like some extra pay an option to do babysitting/care services after hours on the school premises?
C. Micallef
Oct 12th 2008, 15:51
The statement from Ms Sina Bugeja below is what I've been saying before:
"She felt one of the major obstacles prohibiting women from entering the labour force full-time was the short schooling hours and the long holidays".
I think this matter has to be corrected over a long period of say 20 years (as with the Pension Reform that made those who were 45 and below work till 65). You can't all of a sudden tell a 50 year old teacher to work till 3.30pm and to have 6 weeks of summer holidays as in UK & Germany.
I wish to mention the other extreme side of women who unfortunately cannot become mothers. Can someone have mercy on these too? Stress is a major cause of infertility. Perhaps if a woman is given a short break of 6 months away from work, she may be caught pregnant. Can someone help these infertile couples who really wish to have a child?
Marthese Galea
Oct 12th 2008, 12:09
What about a facility to look after children with disability that goes beyond childcare years. The problem stands because the school vans pick this persons up much later than able bodied students. So if the child is picked at say 8.30 , 8.45 how can the parent find a proper job? For this parent is going to arrive late for work every time because this section within the society is provided with a disservice. This is fast causing POVERTY to these families.
a cutajar
Oct 12th 2008, 12:08
@A.Camilleri
The best company for children are their parents (or at least, one of them)! Therefore, I appeal to all decision-makers to speed up the process whereby all those parents who want to contribute to their childrens' upbringing IN A DIRECT MANNER, obtain appropriate TELEWORKING arrangements which are based on their paricular conditions (e.g. specific job description prior to availing themselves of maternity leave). Let parents decide what's best for them. Mothers/Fathers who wish to opt for teleworking should be allowed to plan the number of hours committed towards work duties which are based on their particular family-related commitments (e.g. financial obligations through loans, etc., and so on).
In this way, they will not loose sight of their employment (read: career). In other words, they will technically stay in the world of employment and at the same time keeping tabs on their children's cognitive development.
Think long-term.
john fenech
Oct 12th 2008, 11:49
There are several aspects to this argument:
Are the mothers of toddlers under three years willing to join the labour market? Do these mothers prefer to support the toddler exclusively until they are three year old? Is there an in depth study about this subject to guide the mother about her decision? Is the state interest purely based on the mother/child interest or to square up to the big brother expectations?
Until better professional facilities are put in place, could the state organise basics courses for child caring skills aimed to assist the grandparents at this delicate phase of the child upbringing. I do not mean the affection and love aspect but rather the learning curve of the child and the method of control application.
Maria H. Muscat
Oct 12th 2008, 11:34
Yes Maltese prefer grand-parents because they are cheaper and in the long run they spoil the children rotten. Thanks to professional child carers employed at the child care centres (the few there are on the island) toddlers learn through play. It is good to have the support of the grand-parents every now and then but definitely not on a daily basis.
A Camilleri
Oct 12th 2008, 10:49
Keep you hair on. What about parents where grand parents are not readily available? The best company for children are children themselves and only professional child care institutions can provide for this. There are good points of course having grandparents to help out but not to the determinant of the child. Many a time, these children become little grandmothers themselves and their psychological cognitive development could be impeded. This is how I see it anyway.
Franco Farrugia
Oct 12th 2008, 10:31
1. So, who is doing the bringing-up? The grand-parents or the parents?
2. Are all grand-parents involved in this childcare, doing it voluntarily or do they somehow have their arms twisted, gently or otherwise?