Teachers feel the need to be updated on reform details

Teachers are worried they are not prepared for the education reform that kicks off in September because they are not being kept updated about the workings of the new process, according to their union.

“They are feeling as though they are stepping into the unknown... We agree with the new reform but there are certain elements that still need to be explained and clarified,” said Malta Union of Teachers’ president John Bencini.

In May, exams that will benchmark students’ ability in English, Maltese and mathematics will replace the current system of state Junior Lyceum and Church common entrance exams. The reform will also introduce a concept called setting, whereby students will be grouped according to their strengths and weaknesses in the different subjects, creating a mixed-abilities classroom.

Mr Bencini said the union believed the education authorities started preparations for the reform too late and were now in a “state of panic”. This was compounded by the fact that other new initiatives were being implemented at the same time. These included the new school leaving certificate, the review of the national minimum curriculum and school syllabi, the introduction of vocational subjects and new induction courses for teachers, among other things.

“Don’t get me wrong, these are all positive initiatives and the people at the education directorate are a very dedicated and hard working team, but they are trying to do too much at once,” Mr Bencini said.

“I fear all this will negatively affect the success of the new education reform,” he said.

The Education Ministry said it had been working on the reform for the past five years during which time it had consulted teachers and the union. But the details of how this will work are still unclear to teachers, Mr Bencini said.

Last month, the union met teachers of various grades to speak about the reform. They expressed their concerns that were announced yesterday by the union in a press conference aimed at nudging the authorities into clarifying pending issues with teachers and address their concerns.

Mr Bencini said teachers were being kept in the dark as to what stage the revision of the curriculum had reached.

The new syllabus for Form 1 was still being drafted and the syllabi for Form 2 upwards were not likely to be completed by the time the next scholastic year started. This was of concern to teachers who wanted to have a clear picture of the syllabi for the years ahead to plan their work, he said.

There were many unanswered questions as to the workings of the actual reform. Teachers were also worried about the hasty implementation of their training in basic skills that would prepare them to tackle a class with mixed-abilities students. The union recommended that teachers be kept informed about developments in the reform, that the union and stakeholders be consulted and that the college system be reviewed to ensure it is yielding the required results. In its reaction, the Education Ministry said that before benchmarking was introduced, 27 consultative meetings had been held. Basic skill training for teachers had started about five years ago. While it was true that the directorate was working on a new syllabus for Form 1, this was being done to cater for children of different abilities.