Quality primary education

Acountry's educational system cannot be sound unless it is built on a strong base, that is, the primary level of education. At present, a major reform is being discussed that will see the total elimination of streaming in primary schools and the phasing out of the Junior Lyceum examination. This reform has been welcomed by the majority of educators but, to succeed in its aims, it has to be accompanied by other measures.

First of all, it is essential that all educators, both at kindergarten level and at primary school level, will eventually be University-trained and have a degree in their area of specialisation. It is not enough simply to have educators with some training in these areas; we need graduate specialists at both levels: kindergarten and primary.

Then, we have to be adequately prepared for teaching mixed-ability classes. This requires an approach based on Howard Gardner's concept of "multiple intelligences". There are different kinds of intelligences and every child thinks and learns in different ways. Therefore, we have to adapt our teaching strategies accordingly. This entails differentiated teaching, in other words, teaching and setting work on tasks according to every particular child's individual stage of development, his/her best method of learning and his/her particular interests and aptitudes. This is not an easy task; indeed, it is a very challenging one.

The good teacher has to be innovative and creative. He/she has to continuously seek ways to help his/her pupils learn in enjoyable ways, which foster the holistic development of the child. This entails the constant use of educational resources such as controlled use of the internet and educational software that enable children to acquire literacy and numeracy skills through computer games. Social cohesion in the classroom can be improved through "cooperative learning" where children are divided into small groups to work together on a task and then each group makes a presentation of its work to the rest of the class.

For the present educational reform to succeed, it is essential that the primary school curriculum be reviewed. We should reflect on what is happening in England where a major review of the curriculum for primary schools is underway. The report by government adviser Sir Jim Rose is recommending the replacement of an overloaded curriculum based on individual subjects by one based on six broad areas of learning that would create a more flexible, less overloaded timetable in primary schools.

The areas of learning would include: (1) understanding English, communication and languages; (2) mathematical understanding; (3) scientific and technological understanding; (4) human, social and environmental understanding; (5) understanding physical health and well-being; (6) understanding the arts and design. This reform in the primary curriculum would be accompanied by the elimination of superfluous subject matter from syllabuses, the bane of teachers not only in England but also in Malta.

Sir Jim Rose also deals with the problem of summer-born children who do worse at school than children born in earlier months, a fact confirmed by research. In Malta we also have this problem and Sir Jim is suggesting that all pupils should start primary school in September after they turn four but only part-time for the youngest.

Another important aspect of reforming primary education in Malta concerns homework. We have to understand that the home backgrounds of children are different. This means that homework is in itself socially discriminatory because some children will find the right conditions and support for working at home while others will not. More time should be allocated to learning tasks at school and homework should be reduced to a bare minimum. At the same time, programmes designed to help parents in the education of their children should be encouraged and increased.

This brings me to the subject of the involvement of parents and teachers in the present educational reform in Malta. I feel that parents and teachers should not only be consulted, they should be at the heart of the reform. The reform should be based on the action-research concept. The results of research should be grounded in actual practice and such practice should itself be refined through the results of research and this cycle should go on to the benefit of Maltese education in general.

To succeed, the reform cannot be spearheaded only by top officials of the Education directorates and the college principals, it also has to include teachers and parents in the crucial decision-making and implementation processes. Teachers and parents should be actively involved in everything concerning the reform. As things have turned out, the reform has taken the shape of a top-down exercise in educational change. To succeed, it has to be a horizontal exercise in change where every stakeholder has an equal voice and an equal share in the reform process.