Extra help for secondary students with difficulties
Schoolchildren starting secondary education with serious reading and writing difficulties are being given additional lessons tailored to their needs in Maltese, English and/or Mathematics.
Answering a parliamentary question by Anthony Agius Decelis (PL), Education Minister Dolores Cristina said the Educational Quality and Standards Directorate is training the teachers responsible for helping such schoolchildren to develop their basic skills.
This year the directorate has also developed a National Policy and Strategy for the Attainment of Core Competences in Primary Education to help teachers spot the difficulties faced by certain students in reading and writing, thus giving them timely help.
The directorate has invited teachers to attend after-hours training in order to be better equipped to help students who are falling back. The ultimate aim is to nip the problem in the bud before a student actually gets to secondary school.
As from next September, each school will be expected to focus more explicitly on the development of reading and writing skills in all schoolchildren.
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Franco Farrugia
Jul 4th 2009, 09:19
@ Marisa Zammit - In cases similar to yours, that is where the system should bring in specialised teachers and sit with your child, 1:1. Such cases are challenges - obviously there is a price to pay, behind it, but the system should not allow such children to fall by the wayside. Especially when there is the collaboration of the parents!!!
marisa zammit
Jul 3rd 2009, 13:17
i totally agree that there are students with difficulties .first these children should be tackeld at an early stage .there are no teachers qualified for these kind of students .i have a son with these difficulties who is starting secondary school this year and i want to assure you that i did everything in my power to help my son this was all in vain as there are no qualified persons to help these students . these students just go to school to sit down and stare because they don't understand .i hope that something will be done soon.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 3rd 2009, 09:26
A great move but I feel it will be in vain unless there is also attention being given at home. If there is a problem there, even THAT should be dealt with: by counsellors and / or social workers. The effort must be two-fold: from school and from the family.