'Unknown father' should be abolished

Mothers should not have the option to put down "unknown father" on a birth certificate since children have the right to know who their father is, the parliamentary Social Affairs Committee has suggested.

While calling for the phenomenon of the increasing number of unmarried mothers to be investigated thoroughly, the committee said an educational campaign was needed to inform fathers of the legal procedures to acknowledge their children.

The recommendation was made in a report drawn up by the committee dealing with the father's role in the family and the impact of his absence on children.

Highlighting the important role of fathers in their children's development, the report expressed concern on the lack of proper communication within the family.

"The addiction to computers, television, iPods and other electronic games among parents and children is the cause of reduced communication in the family," the parliamentarians said, insisting on the need for more education on communication skills.

Efforts should be made to improve the quality of education, they added, so children would not be required to attend private lessons, which kept them away from home for longer periods.

They also called for the creation of a family therapy unit in schools and the introduction of family nurses who would help mothers and fathers in the upbringing of their child soon after pregnancy.

The committee harped on the importance of family-friendly measures and called for a discussion on the matter in the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.

"Measures such as flexiwork, telework, temping jobs and parental leave increase the amount of time parents can spend with their children, while allowing them to continue working," the committee said, insisting society should not condemn parents who worked.

The report also expressed concern about the treatment of children during separation cases.

"Children are treated like parents' property and not like vulnerable individuals despite the law stipulating the best interest of children should prevail," it added.

The parliamentarians also called for sexual health education to minimise the incidence of children born to single mothers.

The committee is chaired by Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo and has as its members PN backbenchers Frederick Azzopardi, Michael Gonzi and Stephen Spiteri and Labour MPs Justyne Caruana, Michael Farrugia and Anthony Zammit.

The report can be accessed on Parliament's website and is open for public consultation.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com