The news given in the last Budget that the government is to invest €330.1 million in education for 2011 is more than welcome. Likewise, one cannot but praise certain measures, such as the revision of the national minimum curriculum and syllabi; the focusing on students’ individual needs rather than on examinations; the commissioning in 2011 of a new system of e-learning to update children’s education by electronic means; the initiation of a pilot project by which primary school children will use netbooks for their studies; and government investment in the development of a National Centre for Interactive Science at Villa Bighi, Kalkara.

Still, a lot of work needs to be done if we want to consolidate and improve Malta’s ongoing education reform. Since all education is today based on the concept of lifelong learning, it is absolutely crucial we inculcate this concept in our students’ minds from as early an age as possible. I feel this is an area where a lot remains to be done in the primary level of the educational system. Although at the secondary level many Maltese students are already well on the way to becoming autonomous learners, the opposite is usually the case in primary schools.

Unfortunately, this undesirable situation is often the result of a certain attitude on the part of some parents of primary school students.

Certain parents retard their own children’s development as autonomous learners by treating them on the same level as that of young infants when their children are already at an age when they should be encouraged to work by themselves and embark on an enjoyable voyage of educational discovery. It is nothing short of pathetic, for instance, to have parents asking teachers of eight-year-old students to personally write down the latter’s homework on their notebooks to make sure the children will know what work to do at home! Children should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning at as early an age as possible.

Another major educational problem that needs more attention is that of absenteeism. We still have an unacceptable number of students who miss school on a regular basis. There are various reasons for this. Child labour is still rather common in Malta although, today, it is mostly done in a clandestine manner. Then, there are also many families with serious social problems that sometimes disrupt the education of the children involved.

Those of us who are educators also have to ask ourselves the question whether we are making education attractive enough for our students. To hear a child state s/he hates going to school indicates there is something very wrong with the type of education we are providing.

Thankfully, the college system and the elimination of the Junior Lyceum examination will go a long way towards ending educational discrimination. Still, this is not something we can take for granted and we have a lot of hard work to carry out to achieve such a goal.

One thing we have to make absolutely sure of is the early identification of children with learning difficulties and the provision of adequate and early support for such cases.

If we want to increase the number of children who leave compulsory schooling with the necessary certification, we have to ensure no children reach the secondary level of education illiterate or semi-literate as this would be a grave hindrance to their educational advancement.

Another area of learning where significant progress has been achieved is that of the inclusion of disabled children in mainstream education. It is a joy to watch the way these children are being helped to further their education, given that many years ago they were still regarded as being impossible to educate with other children. However, even here, more qualified personnel and specialised teaching/learning resources are needed to cope with the constraints of what is probably the most challenging area in our educational system.

Finally, no educational system can be called modern unless technology forms the foundation stone upon which it is built. Computers and other technological equipment are today part and parcel of the teaching/learning process in our schools. While continuing to give prime importance to science and technology in the curriculum, it is essential we prepare for the day when all learning will take place on a child’s computer both at school and at home.

The role of the teacher will change radically from his/her being at the centre of the teaching/learning process to one where his/her role will still be crucial but secondary to that of the student.

This will see an auto-learning process where the role of the teacher will be that of a guide and facilitator of learning. That day is not so far away.