Janice Chetcuti, Marsaxlokk
Impressive state schools
There was a time when a clear-cut divide was evident between under-funded state schools and the wealthier Church and private educational institutions. A news item, featuring the Prime Minister's visit to the Santa Tereża primary school in Birkirkara, aired on the national broadcaster a few weeks ago, dispelled any doubt that this is still the case today.
State schools have rightly received an injection of funding over the past decade; children now have a better environment within which to hone their skills and interact with fellow students and peers. Moreover, the new college system seems to have provided educators with the necessary impetus to introduce innovative ideas, particularly in the sphere of information technology.
It's wonderful to see a united front between the government and stakeholders in the education sphere.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
5 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Galea. L
Nov 4th 2009, 10:45
Seems that an early election is not that far off
Jeremy J Camilleri
Nov 3rd 2009, 16:12
Ia this part of Ms. Chetcuti's electoral campaign?
A. Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2009, 14:12
...And exactly how many schools have you visited yourself in the past twelve months? Are you basing this generic opinion merely on what the TV report showed? If that's the case, I suggest you visit a number of Primary schools in the South East of Malta. What would you say if your kids' classroom had workers in the corridors, dismantling wooden windows whilst lessons are going on, with a lot of debris on the floor that is used by the students themselves to move from one class to another? Or what would you say if you saw the state of disrepair that certain school are left in, with insufficient maintenance budgets to carry out the needed work? Let's be fair and call a spade a spade - one good-looking school can not be taken as a sign that state-schools are now top-class throughout. Just do a few visits and see for yourself. And before you rush - I did that myself, which is what i'm basing my reaction on.
I would much rather see substantial investment in bettering existing schools, than opening new ones.
R Axisa
Nov 3rd 2009, 13:38
I can assure you that not all state schools are the way they were promoted on TV. I work in a girls secondary school within one of the colleges where children with special needs, especially those bound in a wheelchair, are deprived from using for example the computer lab and resource room due to the fact that these are on the first floor, BUT there is no lift which can accommodate such students. I (an LSA) spent a whole scholastic year doing IT lessons myself to my wheelchair bound student in the school library. Besides, the computers that are available to the students/LSAs leave much to be desired - very very very slow. We are also deprived from the internet service in the Resource room, which can be very useful to students with special needs. There are very useful and interactive sites on the internet which surely help the students learn in an attractive way. It's good to see the improvement you mentioned in state schools, but I can assure you that not every state school is the way it was promoted on TV. Others leave much to be desired.
Franco Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2009, 12:08
At Janice Chetcuti: Indeed, State schools today have been injected with enormous funds. It is common hearsay at such schools for administrators to tell their teachers to think up ways how to spend the budget for their particular school, 'otherwise, next year, we won t be given so much money', they argue.
On the contrary, Church schools sometimes are made to wait months on end for the Government to pass over to them the monies that it owes them. To the detriment of the financial organisation of said schools.
With regard to the 'united front' that Janice writes about, it would also be worth encourging the representatives of the non-state school sector to continue taking part.