Consultation document proposes to do away with streaming

Sinclair Calleja

Nov 20th 2008, 11:31

I personally belief the method of education in Malta does nothing to intrigue the interest of pupils (of any ability).

First of all, I think we start some technical subjects very early, causing pupils to nurture a dislike for such topics simply because it is not the right time for them to be learnt at such a young age. In particular, I refer to the science subjects.

Secondly, the approach to literature should be one of involvement. For instance, in a poetry subject, pupils should be encouraged to write their own poems, to read them out aloud and discuss them with their peers. Besides helping with the appreciation for such works, it encourages the pupil to believe in his creative abilities and their exposition to the public. Public speaking should be encouraged from a young age. We're a nation of shy people (just look at vox pops).

Thirdly, I believe religion should not be a failing subject. In a world of globalisation, pupils must be thaught that Catholicism is just one of the many Abram-Judeo religions leading to God, with no "best" religion. Developing respect for other people, irrespective of their framework of beliefs, is the key.

H Bugeja

Nov 18th 2008, 22:31

This is all very good, but before removing streaming and move on to the new system we need to take care of some other problems. In order to teach a group of mixed ability students the state schools need to reduce the number of students in each class to 15-18 students and ideally each teacher should have a 'teaching assistant' in every primary class.
It is virtually impossible to use differntiated teaching methods in a class of more than 15-18 students.

Sandro Spiteri

Nov 18th 2008, 22:12

M. Vella is right is stating that the reform is incomplete without a overhaul of what happens in the early years. that is why the info today that a proposed national core competences policy and strategy for the early years will be soon out for consultation is such good news. Kindergarten assistants will soon need a diploma, then a full teaching degree, which is also good news. Finally childcare facilities are under the education Ministry, so there can be much better coordination and continuity in the 0-7 age bracket. It is still really early days for such continuity, but at least the pieces are starting to come together.

albert leone ganado

Nov 18th 2008, 21:31

The attitude of the like of Mr F Fabri surprises me to say the least. Is he implying that ordinary people should keep their mouths shut for they are not competent to speak on such a crucial subject of parental concern before being steeped or perhaps reeducated in the latest educational theories .

I sincerely trust he is not one of those hovering round the minister urging the introduction of such potentially damaging reforms

Some of us have been in education for a long time and have nurtured some of our most gifted and talented leaders. Thank God we always insisted on serious exams as achievement measures.

In the 70's parents who could of course voted with their feet away from the system and thanks to traditional private schools spared our children from the disastrous experiments of that time which had done away with exams and automatic promotion from one year to the next

.And let us not blame the minister of that time for the disaster. It was a cadre of so called illuminated educationialists who seized the opportunity to experiment with our children.

Brandon Camilleri

Nov 18th 2008, 20:20

It seems that the students of the 70s will continue to suffer from the worst government decisions ever taken as it is now their children who will continue to suffer from the worst educational reform ever proposed since the 70s. Why should the government ruin a success story instead of helping those most in need. It is really strange how the government is doing this reform to assist those in need and the good ones leave them to attend in church/independent schools. What is the difference between this reform and the one in the 70s. I think it is really bad to play with the future of our children. Leave the good ones to learn and give the basic to those in need.

Why is it that children without parental assistance will now remain in the same situation and move forward whereas those who want to study will end up part of those who do not want to learn.

After the electricity and water tariffs ..... now this. The government is making it's utmost to ruin this country as this is not a reform but a disform form the way it is dealing with the future of our children.

M Vella

Nov 18th 2008, 18:13

no effective policy dealing with primary to secondary transition can be effective if it does not include reforms in the kindergarten to primary transition. It is a pity that this issue was in my opinion taken out of context for cheap pre-electoral propoganda purposes.

Mario Mallia

Nov 18th 2008, 18:07

We have more than half the population of Year 6 students who either don't sit for the JL exam or are failing it. Is it because the Maltese are a breed of underachievers? Of course not. The issue is that we have stuck to a sacred cow for 35years and threw to the dogs thousands of children in the process. Rather than suiting our education to the needs of children, we kept trying to fit children into a system which we have made absolute. Have'nt we heard about multiple intelligences? Have we realized that the common entrance/JL exam only test for limited facets to the detriment of others? Contrary to what is being argued, Malta is the last bulwark of systemic and violent ( I have no other word for it) selection in Europe and beyond. We kept up streaming arguably because of a lingering shadow of what happened in the '70's. The result? The lowest rate of students who continue with their studies after the age of 16 in the EU. The system is putting off students from learning and education. Is this what we want? What we need is a different mindset. Our children deserve it.

Franco Farrugia

Nov 18th 2008, 18:04

Dear Frank,
I know that you are a great educator - but you have to believe that there are other educators with somewhat more experience in education, in the classroom, than your excellent self (no sarcasm, absolutely!).

I am afraid that you are unjust when you do not consider the historical context. Indeed, I remember the context, because I was about to sit for the Form I exam in 1971-72 when ... well, when the educational system went haywire in the name of progress, and all schools were the same and all students were also the same. This signalled the birth of the Church, or as they were known then, and as they should still be known, Private Schools.

Pupils are going to be put in the same bag - no teacher is going to make assessments which will go against the interests of the school and of the class and of the student and of that same teacher's reputation, etc ... You know it; I know it. We are all human!

Frank Fabri

Nov 18th 2008, 16:59

Secondly I urge prudence in one’s own arguments put forward in such fora, especially when declaring vague personal statements, referring incorrectly to history and soliciting comparative analysis. Our aim should solely be the improvement of our national educational system in order that our teaching staff, students, and parents get their due, and not just contributing for the sake of it without considering the impact of our contributions.
In conclusion, I have to urge responsibility from those putting forward their own impressions and not to declare them as facts. In the concerned document it is not being proposed that all examinations are to be removed. For instance half yearly and annual examinations are to be continued and supported by formative assessments which are to be internally and externally monitored. Emphasise is being put on core competencies i.e. Maltese, English and Mathematics and subjects like information technology and science are given due importance too. An end of year national examination at year six is also being proposed.
May I aslo remind that public meetings for consultation are set up within all 10 State Colleges during which appropriate presentations are scheduled and discussions planned. (2 of 2)

Frank Fabri

Nov 18th 2008, 16:59

I am in full favour that the general public is involved in discussions but definitely in a knowledgeable manner and with responsibility. I highly recommend that before involving in such a sensitive discussion, the bare minimum one can do is to read the concerned documents in order to grasp all aspects of the proposed policy. All those who wish to form an informed opinion, and not just a personal one, need to further consult local and international research on the particular field. (1 of 2)

Sandro Spiteri

Nov 18th 2008, 16:46

The alternative...? It is more of the experience of Maria Dolores Fenech, below. The alternative is a system that is presently failing at least half of pupils at Yr 6, telling them they have 'failed' when all they might need as a bit of extra assistance. Streaming and the present JL exam system is not the safe, successful system some make it out to be. It is a criminally wasteful system - unless we are willing to accept that our pupils and young people are far less capable that their peers in the rest of Europe...

Finally, this is far from a 70's rerun. There has been, and will be, an extensive consultation process. There are 25 years of research to back up the recommendations. The reforms will come in gradually over 6 years. They are complemented by other reforms from kinder to end of Form 5 to support fully the new reform. And they are supported by the non-state sector.

I personally believe this time we have what it takes to make a real difference

Sandro Spiteri

Nov 18th 2008, 16:30

Let's READ the actual proposal before any comments are made. There is NO proposal to remove exams - if anything, these will have wider validity without the unacceptable high stakes attached to them today. At Yr 6, these exams will just be for Maltese, Maths and English, as a diagnosis of the learner's achievements and needs at the end of the primary cycle so as to provide the necessary info for a successful secondary cycle. I agree that mixed-ability classes require specific training and extra resources, but schools in Malta already have such classes , both state and non-state, iether by policy or because they are too small to have more than one class per year. And the results are far from the disaster some fear. Few note that in private lesson classes, groups are mixed and this does not seem to be a problem. The concern is therefore not mixed ability per se, but that some pupils may disrupt others. There are ways how to ensure that this does not happen, some of which already beung used in our school, which do require more resources but which work. The alternative...?

Maria Dolores Fenech

Nov 18th 2008, 16:15

My 8 year old daughter is currently sitting for her mid term tests. Tomorrow she will be doing her Social Studies test which will test her on 13 topics. 13 topics in 1 and a half month. She has already filled up half her social studies project book. We cannot have a day off, cannot go to Ta' Qali on Sunday as we used to, and she is starting to HATE school with the amount of work she has to learn. She also has a disadvantage because she is hard of hearing, but the system caters only for those pupils who can memorize as much as possible.

Who is going to stop this?

s. ellul

Nov 18th 2008, 16:05

I hope that the authorities will consult and listen to the real experts in all of this and that is the teachers in class. in the case of streaming, are the classes to remain with the same population? if in the affirmative then the system will fail and the authorities can look forward to a deluge of complaints from the parents. the worst off will be the 'bright' pupils as they will inevitably fall behind. As is the custom here, we are trying to change in two weeks what should have been changed in twenty years. this will result in an earthquake and I pity the children who are going to be caught up in it.

lgalea

Nov 18th 2008, 13:41

CJ Farrugia
The present situation speaks for itself about the disaster we have in schools with many youths leaving without being able to read or write.
How about checking the figures of illiteracy in the 70's and compare them with the present figures before you make allegations?

Re exams, I don't think that they should be done away with, but it is stupid to expect children or anyone for that matter to remember certain things such as dates which will be of no use in life such as referred to by another correspondent.

Michael Vella

Nov 18th 2008, 13:40

Well said CJ Farrugia - I agree with you 100%

As one of the 70's 'guinea pigs' I experienced Agatha Barbara's experiment first hand and I assure one and all it was a total disaster. This new system is a direct throwback to those days. Only God knows how a handful of people managed to get through that educational jungle unscathed. The rest perished (academically speaking of course!).

edward bartolo

Nov 18th 2008, 13:39

In the case of history, exact dates are not absolutely necessary. However, having an approximate idea when historical events happened, helps one put everything into perspective.

Victor Muscat

Nov 18th 2008, 13:25

@ JC Faffugia.
I agree perfectly. Only the private secondary schools did well in the 70's because the best students opted to go to them.

malcolm seychell

Nov 18th 2008, 13:20

@ Mr Joe Gales

Prosit for your comment.

'Fin natura frotta hazina thassar it tajba, u mhux wahda tajba tfejjaq il hazina'

I don't know who is coming up with such ideas practically on all issues we are living today.

CJ Farrugia

Nov 18th 2008, 13:02

Don't we ever learn. In the '70 during the time that Agata Barbara was minister of Education, this same experiemnt was tried out and failed miserably. The then Lyceum and the St Joseph Secondary Technical School were disbanded and replaced by Secondary Schools all over Malta. Entrance to secondary schools was without exams and one went to the area secondary school. The result was a disaster in education which is still being felt to-day in the generation of students who attended secondary schools durung those times. Hence the then introduction of the Junior Lyceums. It was during these times that the rush to Private Schools started. WE NEVER LEARN.

John Saliba

Nov 18th 2008, 12:59

Having spent most of my professional life as a teacher, I have some comments about all this:
i. I don't think that the cause of all this is streaming. The fact that students have different abilities is undeniable, added to this is the fact that students have problems such as those due to broken families. I pinpoint the problems associated with students' capabilities to learn at an early stage to the lack of resources during the primary years. Education department should be more concerned about having more teachers, facilitators, psychologists etc then with the actual streaming process. I don't think that mixed ability classes will ever function.
ii. exams will always be a good metric by which to measure students' abilities, these however could be made to be more intelligent and to test various aspects of the students' capabilities and not just their memory, allowing students to be creative and innovative in their expressions.

I Abela

Nov 18th 2008, 12:59

I do agree with exams as in most cases it is the only way to know how our children are faring, but I totally disagree that students have to memorise many facts and dates, when in most cases these are useless in their future. Just to give a clear example (so I am not misinterpreted), I beleive that every student MUST memorise that pi = 3.14159, but I don't beleive that every student needs to memorise in what date did Napoleon land on Malta. While I beleive that 'It is good to know' one must make a difference between 'Good to know' and 'NECESSARY to know'.

Josette Bondin

Nov 18th 2008, 12:54

What about students who are now attending a Private School
up to Year 6 ? They should have the right to sit for the Common Entrance Examination.
I have the right to choose the school for my son. What is our situation now?

Doreen Spiteri

Nov 18th 2008, 12:46

In the current discussion one needs to make a fundamental distinction between mixed-ability CLASSES and mixed-ability SCHOOLS. The latter allow for grouping of students by ability, particularly for core subjects, and so learners are placed in classes according to their ability. This placement is not etched in stone and learners can be moved to different groupings according to their progress or lack of it.

This setting (grouping by ability) applies to the core subjects; for the rest of the school day in a mixed-ability SCHOOL, all learners share the same experiences and activities.

Joe Galea

Nov 18th 2008, 12:41

Mixing abilities is the worst idea ever. Intelligence is not like a contagious flu and passes from one being to another. The best idea is to group students with he same levels and for each group a special learning package is designed.

Stop fantasising about practices which are good in theory but not in practice. I am speaking from a teaching experience of over 10 years. The authorities have to realise that miracles are not possible. An intelligent impaired child won't become a genius by just putting him with an intelligent child. Grouping and tailoring of programmes according to abilities, with teachers specialising in different ability categories, is the only real solution.

D Delia

Nov 18th 2008, 12:35

Would the weekly or monthly school tests will be abolished too? If not, the abolishing of exams will not make much sense if children will still be assessed on these frequent tests.

Without going into the merits whether a system without exams is good or bad, let’s be careful not to introduce a system which after 10 years it is discovered that it does not produce better results.

malcolm seychell

Nov 18th 2008, 12:27

Mixing everyone together will not work but makes things worse.

It is the madness of this century.

Obviously we do not want to learn from the failures of other countries.

I want to see how many children of Lawyers, Professors and Ministers will end up in certain schools.

As always it will be the middle class who will have also to carry this burden.

Sandro Pace

Nov 18th 2008, 12:11

Totally agree with Mr. A. Leone Ganado's analysis.

Ultimately, for those who want to succeed in something (not necessarily academic), the fact that some time you have to be examed for selection, ie show your abilities in a limited time (which inevitably requires memorising), is inescapable. So far our system introduced that concept very early, and in my opinion it was beneficial.

I agree that children should have more free time, but not use that as an excuse to eliminate exams. Just reduce them.

Elaine Attard

Nov 18th 2008, 12:09

Change is healthy...but authorities should keep a consistent eye to note how this change will effect our educational system...

J.Borg

Nov 18th 2008, 11:58

Hope the yr 6 exams are carried as they should be and outside examiners are to correct the papers.

Even assessesments i think that these should be verified by outside persons from the education department.

No that am against the teacher's competence but one might be tempted to give that little extra mark....

It's good to see that now exams are going to be based on 3 subjects and that social studies (a vast syllabus) has been removed.

Lastly hope that a proper nation wide discussion is held, so as at least for once we come up with something concret in education and not need to change it again in the future.

albert leone ganado

Nov 18th 2008, 11:56

We must move with extreme caution and prudence before eliminating streaming for if the exercise is mismanaged we will end up with a complete educational disaster.

The fact that the educational situation is currently far from perfect does not mean that mixed ability classes will solve the problem.

We must look closely beyond european educational theories and practices and analyse in depth how countries like Taiwan, China and Korea are achieving through their schools phenomenal academic and social success.

It is well known that the top gifted 15% of the school population rapidly lose interest in school if they are not constantly intellectually challenged. It is known that the bottom 15% have a disturbing influence in classrooms if they are not given substantial remedial support with guidance from specially trained teachers.

There are other classroom and school administration models which must be investigated before lumping all students together into mixed ability classes

By all means let us tweak the system by incorporating setting and more flexible syllabi but let us not throw a tried and tested model which is not currently delivering
for a range of causes well beyond streaming.

Horace Portelli

Nov 18th 2008, 11:46

Well done! Finally we are moving to the right track. Although still arguing that exams should be totally abolished in primary stage this is the first step for improving the education system in Malta where at present we emphasize most on the academic abilities of the student without taking notice of other important abilities. This is a good start for improvement, now it's up to those involved, to dialogue with all the possible parties so that we can say that finally we have an education system that incoronates the best of the student intelligence.

edward bartolo

Nov 18th 2008, 11:35

So far so good, but the mentality of equating learning with memorizing facts, must be also abolished. Learning is much more than simply learning facts and recalling them in an exam!