Opposition welcomes education reform

The Hon. Evarist Bartolo is right, and it is music to the ears to hear this approach in harmony with the proposed reform. We need the reform not simply because we are aiming at something better, but because the present system is not working. We are loosing too many children, maiming too many of those who 'succeed', trimming beyond recognition and plausable excuse what we call 'education' to the sterile memorisation of facts. Of course this reform needs to be complemented with other reforms that ensure an excellent start to all young learners in both key and core competences; greater parental involvement; a differentiated learning approach that is mirrored in sylabi, assessment and certification, etc. One big plus of the present reform is that the Church seems to be on board certianly in principle, and the Independent sector also seems to be moving in the same direction. There may still be a lot of trepidation, cold feet, misunderstandings and plain old subotage along the way, because any privilege is hard to relinquish, but I believe all the major players are there. Some, including the Hon. Bartolo, have sown. Let's harvest the fruit together.

Surely, a national consensus on this issue is welcome, since the effects of any policy change cannot be seen and measured well unless the reform is allowed to seep in. Many countries have made big mistakes with one legislature after another wanting to reform the educational system because the results from the last reform were not (yet) visible: the staff ended up tired and very skeptical of any new reform and the students weren´t served with so many haphazard changes.

I believe there is a divide, but it is not a north-south divide. There are population pockets (in most major towns and villages) where endemic illiteracy breeds, and they are often not being targeted with a flexible and pro-active primary schooling in the locality (some years back I conducted a mini-survey for a local NGO). Some public primaries are excellent: teachers are very motivated and children end up fitting, even those coming from more difficult family backgrounds. In others, a vicious cycle of demotivation affecting teachers, students and principals holds sway, and this is a key area where the equality of opportunities principle upholding our democracy is being betrayed. Can we find effective ways of breaking this cycle, together?

Another fragment of the piecemeal evolution of education in Malta based on models pertaining to other countries. We follow and try to adjust so that they suit us better, many times unavoidably failing miserably because we necessarily depart from the rationale of the original model.

If I could decide the education of my children I would have them prepared for only three subjects up to “A” level standards, namely Maltese, English and Mathematics which I consider the vital competencies that have and will always provide us with a competitive edge.

The rest of subjects will be delivered creatively through the language subjects themselves or as extra curricula activities. For example, history through the teaching of English, Physics through the teaching of Maths. I would not ask them to decide what they want to do in their life at 13-14 but only after obtaining their A levels at 18. In a fast moving world where Malta more than any other place on earth needs to adjust at supersonic speed, it is simply unconceivable that a child it asked to decide his future between two and nine years before he enters the workforce.

So now both major parties are colluding in the triumph of mediocrity over excellence! Haqqkom prosit ilkoll!

......And never was anything mentioned in the electoral programmes!

Today 50% of primary school pupils in state sector do not achieve the required competencies to pass their Junior Lyceum exams and so have very weak foudnations on which to build their secondary education. Today 40% of all teenagers completing their secondary education do not pass the SEC exams in Maltese, Maths, English, Science and IT. We need a better education system that prepares our young people for tomorrow instead of for yesterday.
We do not want our schools to be like animal farms where our children are fattened for the slaughterhouse of examinations. We want our children to experience top quality education that can help them be active citizens in an advanced democratic society and employable in the economy of the 21 st century.
So we welcome any move to improve our education system. The success of the proposed reforms depends on their implementation and on how effective the human resources are mobilised with adequate financing and relevant education material in classes that reinforce the reforms. If the church and independent schools do not participate in the reforms, the reform process will be at risk. We need a culture change.

Evarist Bartolo with the backing of Joseph Muscat is showing signs of a political approach which have rarely experienced locally i.e. to have politicians who have the ability to recognise and commend good actions of an opposing party and also to constructively build upon those good actions. Well done. Keep it up.

Does this mean that it is not true that last year all students from Cospicua failed in the JL exams?