Kristina Chetcuti
Short school hours among shortcomings of Maltese educational system
Roger Murphy: “Much teaching in Malta seems to be designed to impart factual knowledge. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to develop their thinking skills.” Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar
Short school hours, undue emphasis on academic knowledge and lack of professional development training for teachers seem to be the major shortcomings in the Maltese education system, according to an external observer from the University of Nottingham.
“The way forward for Malta is to invest more broadly in expertise and teaching methods,” RogerMurphy, Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham told The Sunday Times.
Murphy, who in 2005 contributed to a full review of the Matsec Examinations Board process, has since kept an eye on the developments in Maltese education, and recently returned to carry out further work.
Some of the flaws in the education system, highlighted in his report six years ago, have seen no signs of improvement, such as the short school year: “When compared with a wide range of other education systems in developed countries, students in Malta are still receiving a very low number of hours of schooling.”
He also referred to the recent European Commission study on private tuition in EU countries, which revealed that in 2008 in Malta a record 78 per cent of Maltese fourth and fifth formers attended some kind of private lessons.
The study concluded that this was having a negative effect on students because it was restricting their leisure time in a way that is “psychologically and educationally undesirable”.
Murphy had already highlighted this reliance on private lessons in his report six years ago: “I think these very high figures are partly a result of short schooling hours.
“Private tuition is probably a way for students to catch up on parts of the syllabus which have not been covered at school due to time constraints. It is creating a climate where it is acceptable that school is not enough,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed recently by educational psychologist Victor Martinelli who said school hours are not long enough and do not give teachers time to expand on points students may not have grasped completely during a lesson.
Murphy noted that apart from disrupting the lives of young people, private tuition potentially disadvantaged children whose families cannot afford the tuition bills.
“What’s more, it is completely unregulated,” he said, pointing out that whereas school teachers are constantly monitored, there is no regulating body for private tutors.
Longer school hours seem to be the solution to curb the accelerating rise in after-school tuition.
According to a Eurodyce report on ‘Key data on Education in Europe 2009’, in most countries, taught time increases as children progress through school, with the exception of Malta, where the number of school hours in primary and secondary schools stay the same. In fact, students from the northern countries of Europe rarely attend extra tutoring outside their normal schooling hours.
However, isn’t the short school year – in particular the three-month-long summer break – simply a direct consequence of the weather?
“Yes, of course. But Malta is not the only country with a warm climate. Nowadays architects can come up with purposely built structures which would be better equipped for summer,” he said.
In the 2005 report, Murphy had mentioned the issue that the Maltese schooling system emphasises heavily on traditional academic knowledge – a practice out of line with other countries. Did he think it was still the case?
“Yes. Much teaching in Malta seems to be designed to impart factual knowledge. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to develop their thinking skills.
“The Maltese system allows less time for students to develop their creativity and understanding of bigger issues,”he said.
Moreover, he said, many countries have now seen the introduction of vocationally oriented subjects in order to engage a wider pool of students.
“These taught subjects would be work-related skills, and in some education systems, vocational subjects are also tied in with examinations,” he said.
However, it’s even more important, stressed Murphy, to have appropriately qualified teachers in place. “Young qualified teachers, say in computing, are findingthemselves without work. The reason being that in past years, graduates in other subjects would have moved into teaching computing to fill in vacancies,” he said.
This is constantly creating a setting where teachers are not in their right place and are not teaching their specialised subject, and therefore can never give their optimum.
He was full of praise for the University’s Bachelor of Education course: “The B. Educ course has an unfair reputation – it’s a four-year course and they cover a lot of subject expertise as well as get a sustained opportunity to develop their expertise in the teaching elements.
“It disappoints me that B. Educ graduates are looked down upon or unfairly branded,” he said.
It is crucial, he said, that teachers’ performance is monitored and appraised and that they are given opportunities for professional development training and interaction.
“I know some schools are trying to introduce changes such as interactive whiteboards – but I am not sure teachers have been given proper training on how best to use them,” he said.
On the Matsec Examination system, he said very little has happened since 2005: “If anything, many of the people have changed, which means there are new people with less experience on board.”
He describes the setting up of the examination board in the 1990s as something “very brave and courageous”. It is, after all, the smallest national examination board providing the official national school-leaving and university entrance examinations in the whole world.
“It’s doing some good things, definitely. However, there needs to be investment and support, as well as stronger partnerships with other foreign assessment organisations.”
Murphy believes there is no such thing as the ideal education system: “Different countries have to deal with different kinds of issues, but we can all learn from each other.”
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Victor Pulis
Jun 24th 2011, 17:58
You can be sure that teaching is not the only demanding job on the island. Schools should not finish so early and the summer holidays should be shortened. Three months is too long.
M.Borg.
Yet another commentator insisting that Summer holidays are three months long!
When are you going to accept that 7th July to 16th September don't amount to three months?
You seem to enjoy repeating this falacy.
Roger Murphy
Jun 21st 2011, 20:05
I am really pleased that last Sunday's article has generated all of this discussion. I have only visited Malta a limited number of times, and I know that I have a lot still to learn about your country, culture, and school system. I do however have great respect for many of those Maltese educators, who I have had the privilege of working with over the years, and I have learned a great deal through my work and discussions with them. Education is I believe a precious attribute in all of our countries and there is always I believe great value in thinking how we can do things better. I did not say that everything in the UK education system is perfect, and I have today been writing an article which is critical of many of the education policies which our coalition government is currently pursuing. I believe that all children deserve the best education that we can provide for them and I have great respect for all parents, policy makers and teachers, who work hard to try to achieve that. I trust that some good ideas for change will come out of this interesting discussion about the way forward for the Maltese education system.
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 24th 2011, 03:21
I'm glad that you have responded here, Professor Murphy. I will not indulge in a discussion relating to the education system in Malta but will highlight something which has intrigued my curiosity ever since I had a go at teaching myself.
Education should ideally be an experience and not an indoctrination. For intance, why is it that some very clever people end up doing mischief when they could channel their own intelligence the other way round ? This seems to be a generic problem which probably spans across the globe. Why is it that society loses on such people as they end up behind bars or in other forms of trouble. Surely every person is an individual but considering this same fact, it seems that so far at least, interaction with state approved methods of instruction fail here somehow. There is a defined national standard but why is it that people wonder off ? Isn't this a failure of the education system ? I think it is and in order to address this people seem to concentrate mostly on the background of the individual rather the individual him or herself. The background, like family environment, freinds, but perhaps local geographic area also and are beyond the individuals control. So this is where a "compensating" substitute comes in and the student / teacher interaction has good potential here.
A good exercise here would be that of once a week, for a couple of hours at least, pupils could participate in what I would call, the "democratic" process. The pupils would during the session lead the teacher. The pupils would have previously thought of an idea which the teacher has to fulfill. The idea is purely generated by the pupils and nobody else where under predefined rules and conditions, the teacher would have to satisfy a task setforth by the students. A very important aspect of the task is that it is normally associated with adults. It could be anything, a political task, a scientific task, a social task, a managerial task, a family task, anything which one would expect from mature adults, whether they have a leading role or not in society in general.
The whole exercise would involve feedback from both sides, hence consolidating negotiative, communicative processes, crtical appraisals and other skills between both. It also provides the pupils with a good sense of empowerment and how they learn from it when witnessing at first hand thier own teacher perform a task which is normally expected from mature adults in society.
Wouldn't the above qualify in making better people, apart from the traditional aspects of formal education taught in the classroom.?
Mr Joe Xuereb
Jun 21st 2011, 11:13
Good morning Mr. Murphy. And top of the cream to you too Micallef he who will not be ignored, however vacuous his contributions(?).
@Joseph Micallef (sometime yesterday) . Life without desires - one may as well lie down and die.
I can forgive myself a few imperfections when writing any of eight languages when I'm in a rush. But the content is honest at least. Anyhow, English - in case you haven't noticed - is a bugger for subtle nuances and perfection there, therefore, will never be achieved. Unless one is a 'Fowler', of course.
Micallef, it's a shame you did not respond to my first comment here where I gave my take on the subject of 'thinking'. Would have been useful for yourself and for the delectation of us imperfect readers to be appraised of what you think about thinking. Maybe my take(on thinking) unsettled you somewhat in which case you are as faultless as driven snow. Must rush off now. I will leave the editing of this piece-let to you and your ilk. Hope you enjoyed seeing your name in print. I know your type.
You win some, you lose some Joseph. Moving away, I learned how to think, as in free-spirit. Gain. I left my imposed Catholic soul behind, wailing. The nuance there is a revised, 'you win some, you win some'.
Victor Rodenas
Jun 20th 2011, 12:38
I think,perhaps I`m wrong, that if school hours are extended(even with pay) most teachers will not like it and they will treat with a strike.
Mr Malcolm Mifsud
Jun 20th 2011, 12:38
In my school days we used to start at 8.30 a.m., have a break at 10, have a midday break at 12, return to school at 1.45 p.m. and finish at 3.45. We had dedicated teachers (not saying that today's are not, but hearing my daughters speak about what they have at school today makes me wonder) and we never had the amount of private lessons being given today. We're robbing our children's childhood for the sake of academic excellence, that's what I say.
MaryJo Camenzuli
Jun 20th 2011, 11:22
Longer school hours and shorter holidays would also remove one of the biggest obstacles for mothers to go out into the labour market, especially to work full-time.
However, we have to be balanced. Teaching is a very demanding job and one should not equate longer school hours for pupils with longer teaching hours for teachers.
That could be a way forward. Of course, teachers would have to accept that earning money from a second self-employed job as a private tutor wuld have to be severely limited. And that's the real nub!
Ms C. Dimech
Jun 20th 2011, 12:42
sorry, missing the point, how can longer school hours for kids not equate longer hours for teachers??!!! I think that would defeat the purpose!!!
Mr M Borg
Jun 20th 2011, 16:52
You can be sure that teaching is not the only demanding job on the island. Schools should not finish so early and the summer holidays should be shortened. Three months is too long.
Klaus Pedersen
Jun 20th 2011, 11:03
The conclusions are very clear. Don't shoot the messenger. Take action for the sake of our children and ultimately the future of the country.
It is widely recognised that a good education system is key to a country's development. Can Malta afford to ignore such sound advice? And to the "chickens" in political sphere: there may be a lot of voters who are teachers, but there are more who are parents.
Ms Tanya Briffa
Jun 20th 2011, 10:56
Jaf xi jghid dan ir-ragel. Il-problema u d-dizappunt hu li nhallsu konsulenti barranin u mbaghad ma nisimghux minnhom, lanqas il-ftit li jkunu jafu fuq xhiex qed jitkellmu, bhal dan.
Mr G Vella
Jun 20th 2011, 10:28
I recall when attending the Lyceum, quite a few years ago, we used to start at 8:15 and carry on till 3:15 pm. I had to make it all the way to Hamurn and back by bus from Birzebbugia, so it was a pretty long. day. But I never recall anybody seeing it as excessive. So what has happened? Have the days in Malta grown warmer?
Mr Christian Cassar-Torregiani
Jun 20th 2011, 09:56
Some suggestions for an improved curriculum would be :
-Longer school hours including longer break time. Teachers-and especially the MUT-need to be a bit more flexible on this subject.
-Commencing the scholastic year a bit earlier
-Introducing more innovative methods of learning. One can refer to our own Prof. Edward de Bono (famous for his Lateral Thinking and other thinking methods) for this. Creative Thinking should form an integral part of the students' curriculum, it beats any other subject for the preparation of students for life.
-More sports and creative physical activities to be practiced more frequently during school hours, across all age groups. This also improves self-discipline amongst students which as most people know has become a major challenge for teachers to get on with their job.
-Better guidance for the older students concerning deciding their future specialisation and how this will match up with the country's opportunities and requirements. There is currently a lot of mismatching in this regard.
Mr Joe Micallef
Jun 20th 2011, 09:39
In my view it all boils down to making a fundamental choice, that is, between preparing "mole" students who are trained to dig information up and store it ,generally live under the level of curiosity or preparing "curious" students who are not interested in storing but in exploring. Both may have their merits although I tend to infinitely prefer the latter as it makes better and more interesting persons.
To myself it is clear that we excel in producing the first kind of students and the teachers to teach them. Consequently we sacrifice curiosity, investigation and exploration. No wonder we lack research in this country – it is pretty useless throwing funds to incentivise research if the individual is not inclined to that!
Mario Muscat
Jun 20th 2011, 08:35
Just to draw the attention of all those envy for the teachers' working hours; if teachers are made to work longer hours than they will have to be paid more. Teachers in the UK are paid three times as much and they have to cover half the syllabus that is covered out here. Those students that have just sat for their Sec exams and also for the London exams can tell you the difference.
Mrs C. Weitze
Jun 20th 2011, 09:42
Please, do not insult my intelligence!
What you are really worried about is that with longer working hours, you will have less chance of giving private lessons - hence earn some extra pocket money in the afternoon, like many other teachers do.
And that pocket money can be quite a substantial amount - TAX FREE!
I don't think that any Maltese parent has ever received a VAT or any other receipt for the money spent on private lessons.
Victor Rodenas
Jun 20th 2011, 11:22
What ,teachers do not pay tax on private lessons..........tut,tut,....that is why I sometimes laugh when some holier than thou mentiones CONCIENCE. Is evading Tax year in year out a grave sin ?Nobody confesses that sin after all, our religion is PICK and CHOOSE.
Jonathan McBee
Jun 20th 2011, 03:38
QUOTE:
“Private tuition is probably a way for students to catch up on parts of the syllabus which have not been covered at school due to time constraints. It is creating a climate where it is acceptable that school is not enough,” he said.
As a teacher of English, a subject which consists of 5 or 6 lessons a week, I find that there is adequate time for me to cover the syllabus satisfactorily if I plan correctly and there aren't too many interruptions. Furthermore, a child who is truly dedicated to improving their performance simply needs to do the work assigned and study regularly. Even watching tv, listening to the radio and being online can help him or her improve their English! But more than that, pay attention in class and everything falls into place with minimum effort. I am sure that a good slice of those who attend private tuition could have saved their parents a bundle if they simply paid more attention in class.
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THe Sunday Times Logo
Sunday, June 19, 2011 , by
Kristina Chetcuti
Short school hours among shortcomings of Maltese educational system
Roger Murphy: “Much teaching in Malta seems to be designed to impart factual knowledge. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to develop their thinking skills.” Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar
Roger Murphy: “Much teaching in Malta seems to be designed to impart factual knowledge. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to develop their thinking skills.” Photo: Paul Zammit Cutajar
Short school hours, undue emphasis on academic knowledge and lack of professional development training for teachers seem to be the major shortcomings in the Maltese education system, according to an external observer from the University of Nottingham.
“The way forward for Malta is to invest more broadly in expertise and teaching methods,” RogerMurphy, Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham told The Sunday Times.
Murphy, who in 2005 contributed to a full review of the Matsec Examinations Board process, has since kept an eye on the developments in Maltese education, and recently returned to carry out further work.
Some of the flaws in the education system, highlighted in his report six years ago, have seen no signs of improvement, such as the short school year: “When compared with a wide range of other education systems in developed countries, students in Malta are still receiving a very low number of hours of schooling.”
He also referred to the recent European Commission study on private tuition in EU countries, which revealed that in 2008 in Malta a record 78 per cent of Maltese fourth and fifth formers attended some kind of private lessons.
The study concluded that this was having a negative effect on students because it was restricting their leisure time in a way that is “psychologically and educationally undesirable”.
Murphy had already highlighted this reliance on private lessons in his report six years ago: “I think these very high figures are partly a result of short schooling hours.
“Private tuition is probably a way for students to catch up on parts of the syllabus which have not been covered at school due to time constraints. It is creating a climate where it is acceptable that school is not enough,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed recently by educational psychologist Victor Martinelli who said school hours are not long enough and do not give teachers time to expand on points students may not have grasped completely during a lesson.
Murphy noted that apart from disrupting the lives of young people, private tuition potentially disadvantaged children whose families cannot afford the tuition bills.
“What’s more, it is completely unregulated,” he said, pointing out that whereas school teachers are constantly monitored, there is no regulating body for private tutors.
Longer school hours seem to be the solution to curb the accelerating rise in after-school tuition.
According to a Eurodyce report on ‘Key data on Education in Europe 2009’, in most countries, taught time increases as children progress through school, with the exception of Malta, where the number of school hours in primary and secondary schools stay the same. In fact, students from the northern countries of Europe rarely attend extra tutoring outside their normal schooling hours.
QUOTE:
However, isn’t the short school year – in particular the three-month-long summer break – simply a direct consequence of the weather?
“Yes, of course. But Malta is not the only country with a warm climate. Nowadays architects can come up with purposely built structures which would be better equipped for summer,” he said.
Yeah, right ... Of the two ceiling fans in my classroom, one has been out of order for the past 4 years! Maybe the money not being spent on fixing it is being saved in order to assign each of us an airconditioner?
Pia Attard
Jun 20th 2011, 09:43
As a person who's been educated both in Malta and in Australia, I can assure you that simply having enough hours to go through the syllabus is not enough. Having real, proper time to teach critical thinking during ANY class is also very important. No, teaching them what they need to know to pass the exams is not sufficient.
Mr Joe Xuereb
Jun 20th 2011, 00:20
@Ronald Mifsud. I'm with you.
I taught for three years from 1958. I left for a a variety of reasons but certainly did not miss the class. Childrens behavious was bad enough then. I was green and naive and ignorant. A city boy straight from school to Gudja Primary > Hamrun. The Gudjans knew more about birthing generally - theyd seen it all - and took advantage of my innocence and the seized every opportunity to embarrass me. And that was the girls(in a mixed-gender class - what were they thinking putting me in charge of such?) , young teenagers already women, physically larger than I was (at 16) coming up to my desk and asking me what red danger was, smirking all over their ugly faces. I knew what they were on about (I wasnt THAT naive) but pretended not to understand which would have led to goodness knows where so primitively manipulative they were.
These were village girls of fifty years ago. Of course their were the sweet ones who shyly came up to me and gave me an apple. Poo kids! It only takes two or three brazen hussies, feeding off each other, goading each into more uncontrollable behaviour. It was horrendous and lasted three
months. Strange to thing of them as grandmothers now.
Then onto Hamrun for the duration. A class of boys with the usual suspects disturbing the peace and practically forbidding any teaching/learning. Most of the rest were sweet and clean if not necessarily the brightest. I could have done wonders with them. But it was the rotten two or three that ruled the roost. It crosses my mind often thinking how I would view them now, with the experience gained. Id rather not dwell on it too much. I wonder what happened to them.
Ive no idea where its going to end. A lot of what is rotten I trace back to market forces that dictate consumerism. Consumerism is healthy economics so it(consumerism) is untouchable (not unlike cigarette smoking and/or alcohol). Being liberal is fine, and short of a free-for-all, one has to be wary of too much censorship. But it makes one wonder. Certainly extreme control is not to be recommended. The winds of change have been blowing for a while and they too are unstoppable (the internet for instance - wonderful if used wisely but otherwise? the fun aspect?). I gave a colleague of mine a guitar (runs on batteries) and a `Book for Boys for her 11year-old(in line with the current drive to get them to read). He took to the guitar for five minutes (nil attention-span) and as for the wonderful book - I regret not having kept it for myself now - he told his mum he prefers kicking ball outside and off he went. It's true - he will read when he's sixteen 'but not with confidence'.
T
Allow me a 'cri du coeur'. A friend tells me that the Akkademja tal-Malti is making adjustments to the written language and making bow to basic, very basic, phonetics. Bowing being the operative word - bowing to those who refuse to master a few rules and write the language as it should be. This is equivalent to English having given up on the apostrophe. The wilfully obdurate setting the pace for the rest of us I'm afraid. A cri in the desert and all that! Sign of the times!
Mr Joseph Micallef
Jun 20th 2011, 08:44
Wow! Having been a teacher, your English leaves much to be desired!
Mr Joe Xuereb
Jun 20th 2011, 21:13
There's always place for improvement but who gives a damn for style or grammar (except that writing like one speaks and submit is so refreshing to me at least. It's all about content Micallef, all about content. But thanks for Maltese style compliment. Have a nice one whatever it is you fancy a bit on the side of (that doesn't sound right but I'll let it go. As usual.
Mrs C. Weitze
Jun 20th 2011, 00:13
Whilst starting to read this article I was sure to find the usual "Go back to your own country" and "Why always foreigners?!?" comments further down in the blog.
I wonder whether some bloggers ever heard of positive criticism!?!
Being a foreigner and having two children attending school in Malta, I have made - like many others - my own experiences throughout early, middle and senior school years.
The very first one was a project called "Ghandi", which one of my children had to do in his second year at early school. Have you ever tried to explain to a five year old (born in November) who Ghandi was and what he achieved?! Good luck!
On a positive note I do not regret having raised and sent my children to school in Malta, where they are by far safer than they would have been in the city I came from originally.
I always appreciated the small classes of 20 students compared to the 36 we were at my school.
However, I must admit that I often pitied my children for having had such long school hours with an average of 2 hours of homework each day. There was very little time left for playing when they were young.
I also would have appreciated a greater flexibility from the teachers when it comes to teaching. There are many ways to teach a subject. If a teacher does not succeed one way, I expect him or her to be flexible enough to know and try a different approach in order to forward the knowledge to the children.
However, I came across quite a number of "teachers", who - though they were studying the subject at university - had absolutely no teaching skills, let alone could control a classroom.
So no wonder that a lot of parents still seek help in private tuition. But private tuition should not be the answer to the problem above.
As for the encouraging students to use their thinking skills as well as the idea of vocationally oriented subjects in order to engage a wider pool of students I fully agree with Mr. Murphy!
In other countries it is part of the curriculum to send senior school students for a three week vocationally orientation trip to different companies. Three weeks of hand on experience can help students choosing their future career.
As for the long summer holidays: every parent knows that the children forget a lot over these three months of summer and the teachers have to spend a minimum of 2 - 3 weeks on revision at the beginning of each scholastic year.
Keeping in mind the heat of summer my suggestion would be to start school on half days at the beginning of September.
ALFRED GRIXTI
Jun 19th 2011, 23:51
Prof Murphy, is not completely right about the length of the Maltese school day and the Maltese academic year. First of all, it is a two month break during the summer not three. Let's just say 10 weeks. In the UK this is shorter, six weeks but then there are longer mid-term holidays in November and the beginning of Lent where schools close down completely for a week and longer Christmas and Easter holidays where schools close for three weeks each time. So this balances out with our school year. Then again, the school day is only fractionally longer. School in the UK starts at 9.00 a.m and ends at 3.00 p.m., at least that was the school day at a comprehensive school I visisted in Wales four years ago as part of my training in educational management. So, I think tha Prof Murphy has generalised too much on this point and we should look elsewhere to understand what is the root cause for poor results about 25% of opur school leavers obtain at the end of their formal schooling!
Ms G Schembri
Jun 19th 2011, 22:45
Was he refering to state schools or to Church schools? Some church schools, have more holidays, and their half days start earlier than other schools. Private tuition, is something parents insist upon, only because they want their children to come first in class. My children did not go to any private lessons, unless it was to learn something which their school did not provide. They were successful in their fields, without much hassle. If students had longer school hours, they will not have the time for any extra cirricular activities. They will also have no time to meet other youngsters from different schools and end up always with the same crowd, which will hinder their cultural growth.
Mr John Camillleri
Jun 19th 2011, 22:20
It was reported that Finland had short school hours as well. Yet, Finland repeatedly comes first in educational surveys, These school hours of Malta have become an obsession with people not knowing what teaching in Malta entails.
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Jun 19th 2011, 21:57
More of our taxes down the drain. Keep it up minister
Mr john vella
Jun 20th 2011, 13:19
Well said Malcolm
Mr Joseph Brincat
Jun 19th 2011, 21:52
Beware cause you have threaded on sacred turf!
(jb)
Mr Peter Korsten
Jun 19th 2011, 20:53
One direct consequence of the short school hours in Malta is that Malta has the lowest labour participation in the entire EU. In essence, that means that about 53% of the people that can work, actually work, and have to provide for everyone else. If nothing else, it's holding back the economy, and we could do with a stronger economy.
And please, don't get all huffy-puffy because it's a foreigner giving advice. In a nation of just over 400,000 people, you're not going to find experts in every field. The frankly disastrous layout of our roads and the traffic-choking roundabouts are examples of where some foreign expertise might come in handy. So if someone has a word of advice, look at that advice, and don't start questioning his credentials. Really, this low self-esteem prevalent in this country, which they then try to hide behind big words, is getting tedious. Some things work very well in Malta, and much better than abroad - but not everything.
Mr Charles camilleri
Jun 19th 2011, 20:34
Something to think about. Bencini. We have been saying all this for a long time. Maltese students cannot cover the whole syllabus within the present school hours.
Schools hours should be longer and the three months holiday should be reduced to one month only .
Giov DeMartino
Jun 19th 2011, 20:26
One thing is certain: As a general rule Maltese students are always better than foreign ones. And this in spite of our enormous limitations. Not only our students are better, but even our professionals.
Mr Robert Calafato
Jun 19th 2011, 21:19
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't.
Anatole France
Mr Denis Pace
Jun 19th 2011, 21:44
says who? may I ask
Mr Christopher Sant
Jun 19th 2011, 22:34
What a sweeping statement! After having worked both locally and abroad I can never deduce that people of one nationality are better than others. However one thing is certain. Foreigners have a more professional attitude at work. Although Maltese people are generally very clever and hard working, a significant number of them lack the ability to work in teams, motivate and respect colleagues without the need to shout or pass negative comments which bear no influence on the job at stake. Ironically we can be very friendly and diplomatic with foreigners but arrogant with our own people.
Christine Bonello
Jun 19th 2011, 23:39
how are you so certain??!!
S. Vella
Jun 20th 2011, 01:12
What limitations?
I am just one voice speaking from decades of international experience - our local professionals (most though not all) are inflexible, sorely lack lateral thinking and worst of all cannot formulate a coherent train of thought accurately and intuitively on the fly. Most of them have been browbeaten into a fearful submission to "authority" (sic) and are too scared to take the plunge.
The ones who do, rarely stay in Malta - can't really blame them.
Academically our students do in fact possess more factual knowledge but unfortunately most of them cannot apply it without core thinking skills. Our culture itself encourages tradition instead of innovation. No wonder we always lag 50-100 years behind the rest of Europe and the civilised world.
Marie Mifsud
Jun 20th 2011, 07:42
Yes, if you are speaking in terms of book knowledge we are excellent! However, as Mr. Murphy rightly said we leave much to be desired in terms of thinking skills!
Peter Xuereb
Jun 20th 2011, 07:56
I have to say that they are not necessarily better on average. You still have many that are discouraged to even pursue post-secondary education. That said I do agree that they are potentially better. There just needs to be the necessary reforms to better improve the system of education.
Giov DeMartino
Jun 20th 2011, 12:02
Limitations? With a population of 400000 persons the choice is extremely limited. Our doctors are as good as foreign doctors. Abroad you'll find better and worse doctors.
How do I know? Because I spent all my life teaching children at primary level and whenever I had foreign students or Maltese students coming from, say, Australia, the locals were always better. Always!
And certainly we are much better than foreigners when we come to denigrate our own island. That is for sure.
Ms Rose Cilia
Jun 19th 2011, 20:03
I agree with Mr.Murphy on the short school hours issue.Recently I was near a primary school at 8.30am.I heard the children singing the national anthem.By 11.45 the teachers start preparing the children to leave.Can someone explain to me how much is achieved in three hours? As to the hot weather, no one seems to mind giviing private lessons in summer.
I am sure MUT would disagree with Mr.Murphy!
Joan Muscat
Jun 19th 2011, 19:59
Can those who are commenting please start off by informing readers whether they are teachers or not?
ronald mifsud
Jun 19th 2011, 19:43
Paroli fil-vojt! Ghax ma jigix hu fil-klassi u jipprova jzommhom! Il-problema fis-sistema edukattiva taghna hija li tfal li ma jridux jistudjaw minhabba diversi ragunijiet jithallew fl-iskola u dawn hlief itellfu u jitqazzu ma joqoghdux. Qeghdin inbatu biex inzommu t-tfal fil-klassijiet ahseb u ara biex nghallmuhom!Sfortunatment mhu qed isir xejn biex tfal b'imgiba hazina jigu kkastigati jew separati. Araw naqra id-delinkwenza guvanili kif qed tisplodi u x'qed isir. XEJN! ma jezistux facilitajiet li jilqghu ghal dawn l-isfidi u ntant shabhom u l-istess ghalliema qed jigu bbulijati minn dawn it-tfal bi mgiba difficli. Anzi hlief niskuzawhom ma noqghodux u sa dan ittant shabhom, l-ghalliema u s-sistema kollha qed tbati u l-proposti x-inhuma? Intawlu l-hin tal-iskejjel. Iva hekk ghandkom taghmlu ha nghatu l"colpo di grazzia" lis-sistema kollu! Ma rridx ninstema li jien xi bravu imma nahseb 30 sena esperjenza fl-iskejjel ta min iqishom!
Mark Abdilla
Jun 19th 2011, 20:54
Very well said!!
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Jun 19th 2011, 21:07
ghandek miljun ragun. dolores cristina ta ministru inkompetenti li hi gabet professur mill ingilterra. Qas biss taf li l ingilterra spiccat l ghar pajjiz fl ewropa fejn tidhol imgieba tat tfal u problemi. Minghajr dixxiplina gungla nigu kif diga mexjin lejn dik it triq.
James Catania
Jun 19th 2011, 21:09
Ronald,
Li it tfal ma jkollomx dixxiplina mhijiex problema tat-tfal imma il problema tal-ghalliem li ma jafx jirregola il-klassi tieghu jew il metodi li qed juza m'humiex adattati ghal-udjenza li ghandu.
Mr John Camillleri
Jun 19th 2011, 22:47
Prosit Sur Mifsud. Naqbel mieghek perfettament. L-edukazzjoni ta' Malta tiehu r-ruh meta jwaqqfu l-attakki sfrenati fuq it-teachers u l-amministraturi fl-iskejjel u jieqfu jisimghu u jimplimentaw b'ghajnejhom maghluqa l-idejat ta' nies barranin u Maltin li fil-klassi kienu ftit li xejn jew qatt. Dik hi l-hasra hawn Malta li nisimghu mill-"experts" kollha u lill-veri experts li qeghdin hands on naghtuhom bis-sieq.
Mr Etienne Galea
Jun 19th 2011, 22:55
Prosit - right on target!!!!!!!!!
Rowena Spiteri
Jun 20th 2011, 08:44
ezattament Mr. Mifsud. Kulhadd irid jindahal f'affarijiet li ma jifhmux fihom. Lghalliema sa fejn naf jien ma joqodux jikkritikaw ix-xogholijiet ta haddiehor. Nixtieq nistieden lil dawn kollha li jahsbu li jifhmu, biex imorru go skola u jippruvaw jaghllmu u jaraw jissaportux sena skolastika shiha ma dawn it-tfal. Hafna min-nies flok japprezzaw il-gid li jaghmlu l-ghalliema mohhom biex itawlu il-hin ta l-iskola biss. Li ha nghidu kif inhi!!!! dan kollu gej mill-genituri li ma jistghux izommu lit-tfal taghhom id-dar jew ghax imqarbin hafna, jew ghax iridu johorgu jahdmu, u jixtiequ li jwahhluh lil-ghalliema, umbad jippretendu li l-ghalliema ikollohom kontroll ta 25 tifel u tifla. Minbarra hekk, jekk l-attitudni tal-genituri hi li jmaqdru lil-ghalliema, kif nippretendu rispett minn-naha tat-tfal. Dan HU li qed itellef is-sistema ta l-edukazzjoni u mhux il-hin. Grazzi.
Mr francis darmanin
Jun 19th 2011, 19:35
Maltese schools are designed for one thing: memory. So we teach our children LOTS of useless things which they have to learn by heart. We should give them time to THINK, to discover, to challenge, to interact. If we are so obsessed with memory well why don't we just have a subject called MEMORY and so be it. As regards Private tuition could there be a link between teachers' failure to perform at school. i.e. to allow more room from private tuition. We all know the answer.
Mr N. Agius
Jun 19th 2011, 22:10
It is obvious that some memory work has to be presents. Facts are facts and that will be part of every syllabus. It is the exaggeration with memory work that is wrong. Regarding, private tuition, if the teacher does not perform well at school, he won't have followers outside.... If you know of any teacher doing this deliberately, then report him or her to the relevant authorities.
Janice Debattista
Jun 20th 2011, 01:27
Mr Darmanin,
It might well be the case... however, teachers have the arduous task of imparting knowledge to their students in a very short span of time. One must remember the many factors a teacher has to face in the classroom - going through all the topics according to the syllabus, preparing pupils for exams, monitoring the students' progress, coming up with homework and several classwork exercises to suit the different academic levels of students, correcting misbehaving children, trying to settle down the class, answering any of their questions, re-explaining some parts of the lesson, so on and so forth... you get my gist. All of this has to be done in just under 40mins, on a daily basis.
Not all teachers see the Euro sign above their students' heads Mr Darmanin. The majority are really passionate about their teaching career and would do anything to give today's children the best possible education.
Ms Sandra Grech
Jun 19th 2011, 19:21
My goodness,here go all the proud Maltese (mostly teachers most probably!) who can't accept any constructive criticism and hence Malta will always be stuck in the Middle ages I'm afraid. My kids have been to school in the UK and here so I can say what a HUGE difference there is! The amount of homework they get every single day gives me a breakdown, I had to change my fulltime job to a part-time to help them, and to study what? Useless books of factual information by heart! That is what Mr Murphy means, we as a family have absolutely no time at all to do other things like exercising, relaxing outside or learning other much more important things than Maltese history at the age of ten! Yes this guy is absolutely right, and the school hours here are not enough. And I bet kids miss school here because it all gets so stressful, even for the parents. And no, it's not an excuse to have the school babysit them, I didn't work when they needed me when they were babies, but then not work at your career when they are ten or more?!! Come on!
Mr Joe Xuereb
Jun 19th 2011, 18:35
Please, may I be allowed my daily dose of brain-storming.
Currently in the British press, Education in some countries is in crisis (but not in Finland).
One million children in London dont read at age 11. Older secondary school students read but not with confidence. The reason is that children are not being read to by parents; but many parents cannot read (parents who were growing up in the 80s when the corruption had set in. Everybody who is anybody is contributing cash, book, sponsorships and encouragement (even the Duchess Camilla, Prince Charles wife has sponsored). Therefore/likewise, todays kids are tomorrows parents. I live in hope. Some hope! The mind boggles.
It is more than fifty years since I taught in Malta and then, change of country, change of career. Happens!
The climate in Summer is oppressive (in Malta) but shouldnt be a problem these days with discounted oil from im, down South.
A typical Maltese family will push their son, usually, beyond the beyond. Hence the private tuition. It is an industry and therefore untouchable to private tutors, whatever their efficiency or lack of. Also typical is the child who is a reluctant student with weak parents. The message to too many children is that life is primarily about enjoyment, one-upmanship and bits of paper proving they used to go to a school once upon a time(and this not only in Malta, I should add).
Years ago I remember reading something somewhere about the introduction of a new subject called Thinking. Whether it found its way into the syllabus of British schools I do not know. Of course it was more than thinking as normally . I recall it was more about thinking based on gathered information, objective analysis of situations. Straightforward enough one might say. Except it is not. I had a friend a while back, an Iranian. A clever mathematician. He wanted to study further, things like philosophy (as in Western thought). The problem was, his Government provided good bursaries for studies abroad provided the students did not venture anywhere near - Western Thought. These prohibitions could well find backing in Malta. Starting right from the home and never mind the Government. Oh dear! A bit of an impasse there.
Someone please, prove me wrong!
Mr john vella
Jun 19th 2011, 18:15
I hate to repeat it over and over and over.
Why is it that it has to be a foreigner always to come to advise with authority?
Why are we being put down, as cuc malti?
When are we going to be seen as equal to anybody? suggestions are welcome but dogmas even the popes stopped dictating.
I for one who traveled a lot I suggest to Mr. Murphy to leave us in peace.
With my Maltese education I did nicely abroad, by the way I could speak and write Maltese, Italian and English.
How about you Sir? I guess you can always say you have learned to write in English!
The last time I was in Canterbury school children drunk on alcohol stone drunk I saw sitting on the monument of the fallen soldiers.
Glasgow has over 200 mafia teenage gangs,
In London school children on the side street stoned with drugs I saw.
The rate of children pregnant is an all time record in U.K..
The orphanages can not keep up in the U.K. with unwanted children.
Your medical doctors, and higher degree graduates are foreigners.
Of course if you are the sons of you know who, you always pass with flying colours and even become airplane pilots.
No Sir,
Please stop advising.
You are quoted to have said: " The Maltese system allows less time for students to develop their creativity and understanding of bigger issues". Like what?
Well Sir, your advise is interesting, then again there is a saying the proof is in the eating. I prefer our system then what you have messed up from where you come.
Thank you.
Christine Bonello
Jun 19th 2011, 19:01
Mr Vella,
I beg to differ with you. My opinion and experience is exactly the opposite of what you are saying. I am currently living in the U.K. and the only reason I do not return to Malta is because I do not wish the Maltese Education system on my children!! My children are far more relaxed and actually enjoy going to school and studying as there is no excessive pressure. There is far too much academic pressure on the Maltese children. I also strongly disagree with your comment that the U.K. system is more messed up than in Malta. Just in case you do not know Malta is one of the countries that has the lowest percentage of university graduates in Europe! .......and although it seems that trend in Malta is now for everyone to become a Lawyer that does not necessarily mean they are well rounded and educated as many of them
lack general knowledge outside the area of law big time!!!!
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 19th 2011, 19:46
On Education and Language :
The timesofmalta.com is a Maltese website written in english, hence it's accessible to a much wider audience / readership beyond the Maltese shores. To think that some european countries do not even bother with this language seems to suggest that they might consider themselves the creators of thought in the first place. Some europeans use below average english to get by domestically but when it comes to doing business in an international manner, they seem to transform themselves into money grabbers. Now what comes to mind here ? Foreigners living off social benefits and with integrative problems in europe, perhaps ?
Considering the fact that the Maltese are multilingual from a very early stage in thier formative years, perhaps they only need to learn to appropriately channel thier intellectual skills into other faculties of or lines of thought. This potential is already there within you dear fellow Maltese citizens. You are a very intelligent people.
Can a monolingual european understand this unquestionably creative line of thought ? I think not !!
Mr john vella
Jun 19th 2011, 21:11
@Christine Bonello
If your children are enjoying school in the U.K. that is nice, and if it is keeping you from coming back all I can wish you, is good for you.
On my part I came back exactly for the opposite reason. First for what I experienced and I wrote what I saw, also, the open discrimination by the locals was too much for us.
Alas, if your impression is everyone here is becoming a Lawyer, well I find your statement is far short to what the education system has accomplished here or you have been away far too long from home.
Peter Xuereb
Jun 20th 2011, 08:10
What is this? The Maltese National Party? You simply criticise him on the fact that he is not Maltese; despite the fact that he knows much more than you ever will on educational systems and will contribute to humanity much more than you will. Acting like an arrogant patriot doesn't make you look any more intelligent, loyal or "proud of your country", but simply backward minded and reminiscent of lessons that should have been learned during the 20th Century.
Mr john vella
Jun 20th 2011, 13:09
@Peter Xuereb
It is a pity if one speak his mind he is either NP or LP. The fact is today on Sky News I heard complains the way handicapped children or harassed at school and the police can not cope with the problem. I consider this learned gentleman like a shoemaker with a torn shoe. When the upbringing of children in the U.K. is like what he is suggestion us to be, surely it will be more deserving to advice his side first. As for your line of taught experience if you consider the British way is better, I do not. Here we have a smashing say: Some get their university degree for being good to be parrots with figures, others get their degree experience gained throughout their lives.
Mr Joseph Micallef
Jun 19th 2011, 17:49
Quoting: “I know some schools are trying to introduce changes such as interactive whiteboards – but I am not sure teachers have been given proper training on how best to use them,” he said. - this shows how ill informed he is. Interactive whiteboards are being supplied by the Education division and gradually installed in schools (a handful of schools bought some interactive whiteboards from their school funds). Teachers are definitely being trained on how to use them. Such condescending comments!
Mr Joseph Micallef
Jun 19th 2011, 17:40
Quoting Mr. Murphey: "...and lack of professional development training for teachers..."! Does he know what he is talking about? Teachers are being trained regularly during the year. What matters though is how much they put that training into practice. I was recently told by a Head of School that some teachers give him their laptops (leased by the Government to be used by teachers) to safely lock them in the school store! As the saying goes, one can take a horse to the water but one cannot make it drink!
Shawn Abela
Jun 19th 2011, 17:35
A few comments:
As a student growing up in the 1980s and later attending tertiary education in the 1990s followed by further education in the early millennium, i can say that Maltese intellect and level of education is at par with the best systems in Europe.
The system in Malta, has been tried and tested and though it might not be the PERFECT system, I think that overall its an excellent way of preparing a student for eventual tertiary education.
The most disappointing facet in this whole series of studies was undoubtedly university. Not only is university in Malta run on a limited budget (at least in my days, where the laboratories were not equipped with the most basic of equipment), but the subject are very generic and lack depth.
HOWEVER:
The biggest advantage of this whole system in Malta, which no one mentioned, is that mostly, we end up with a primary university degree by the age of 21-23. Without people realising it, this is extremely fortuitous.
Students who want to pursue further studies can continue in Malta or go abroad. Others who want to be thrust in the midst of it seek work.
This enables us to eventually setup a family in 4-6 years time, having worked a bit and also saved some money. We are lucky to be able to start a family life so early (obviously for those who want it).
All the colleagues I met abroad end up finishing university by 27-29 and then having to seek work and start life at around 30. This is obviously preclusive to family life and is probably a contributor why less families exist abroad. Granted that they will be better qualified and have better skills, especially due to the type of courses offered in universities abroad, but something always has to give.
Regarding the 3 months, free of scholastic activities in the summer, let them stay as this is an integral part of our childhood.
I would be loathe to change anything.
Graziella Dalli
Jun 19th 2011, 17:32
I bet if school hours became longer, we'd have less children coming to schools. As a teacher throughout the years, we have seen an increase in absenteeism. Kids fail to attend school just to go out shopping, attend tombola with their parents, go abroad, sleepover or just because they don't feel like coming. Right now in June many kids have already stopped attending school and started their summer holidays and very often parents encourage them to do so!! So I guess first there needs to be a change in the parents' attitude before introducing longer school hours!
Stephen Koludrovic
Jun 19th 2011, 17:32
We are truly at the bottom rung of the educational ladder in Europe.
The hot weather is no excuse. It is not that hot on the all souls day in November, or carnival time.
Maybe a little less religion,and more time spent on other subjects might help improve the quality.
Mr john vella
Jun 19th 2011, 18:48
@Stephen Koludrovic
Your writeup that is referring us: "We are at the bottom rung of the educational ladder in Europe". I want you Sir to Back it up! Otherwise substantiate your allegation. I submit it is not true and for prudence will not call it a lie.
As a matter of fact Maltese professional and European Professional are at a par and this is the fact.
Mr john vella
Jun 19th 2011, 19:05
@Stephen Koludrovic
So we found the needle in the hay stack! it is religion, all souls day and carnival time according to you that is putting us down the ladder.
If you want to write: We are truly at the bottom rung of the educational ladder in Europe. I ask you to BACK IT UP!
Any Maltese profession or professional in Europe is at equal par to any in the European Union member, and that is the fact, not less religion.
Mr Ernest Vella
Jun 19th 2011, 20:28
People without values will be worst than have people without knowing how to read or write.
Mr Patrik Larsson
Jun 20th 2011, 07:55
Mr. Ernest Vella:
"People without values will be worst than have people without knowing how to read or write."
Why do you presume religion is the only way to gain values? In Sweden we have been taught comparative religion - hence, no values imposed, but simply knowledge - yet I doubt you would claim we were brought up without values.
Children definitely need to learn to think, especially before they speak. This seems to apply to some adults too.
Joe Vella
Jun 19th 2011, 17:31
If TOM would not mind, the average reader would like to know Roger Murphey's credentials. Secondly, I do believe that the push towards longer hours is in fact an excuse for the modern woman to go out to work. i.e. to have two pays in the family because in this country, having one pay (even of a professional), one would not be able to support his/her family. So rather than raising the wages, we decided to have two people working rather than one. This obviously attracts business towards the country. Business which is based on cheap labour. Increase wages, and only one person in the family will have to work (be it the husband or the wife) and all these problems will disappear. More specifically, do not try to spoil the mental health of young children by increasing school hours, in order to accomodate the apetite of the capitalist business man. Children in England, where Mr. Murphey is from have longer school hours, but if Mr. murphey wants, challenge him to a dual between a maltese professional and an English professional at the same level. I do believe that the Maltese professional will come out on top. Sorry Mr. Murphey...No Deal.
Stephen Koludrovic
Jun 19th 2011, 22:09
you have a point, I had the same feeling when I was in school.
G Caruana Dingli
Jun 19th 2011, 23:00
Biography
Professor Roger Murphy is a highly experienced educational researcher who has done much of his work in the field of educational assessment and evaluation. He is currently Director of the Centre for Developing and Evaluating Lifelong Learning and the Institute for Research into Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham. Professor Murphy is also Director of the Visual LearningLab, which is a HEFCE funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In addition he is part of the Management Team for the Centre for Social Research in Health and Healthcare, which is an interdisciplinary research centre involving the Schools of Nursing, Community Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Sociology and Social Policy and Education.
Professor Murphy has worked in Higher Education for over 25 years. During that time he has been President of the British Educational Research Association, a member of the Education Panel for the National Research Assessment Exercise and Dean of Education and Head of the School of Education at the University of Nottingham.
Professor Murphy has two degrees in Psychology and is a qualified Primary School teacher. His research interests all fall within a broad area of educational research, assessment and evaluation, and he has undertaken over 100 major research projects relating to all phases of education, work based and lifelong learning. He is also the author of over 100 books and articles in scholarly academic journals.
He has wide experience of working closely with educational practitioners and policy makers, and has undertaken major consultancies in Hong Kong, Australia, Ghana, Oman and Malta.
He is a very experienced supervisor of MPhils and PhDs and has to date supervised 19 successful PhD theses.
In 2005 he received the Lord Dearing Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning from the University of Nottingham.
Joe Fenech
Jun 19th 2011, 17:27
As usual when a foreigner comes over, we think we've just had an encounter with the Messiah. When it's a Maltese that's says something - regardless his CV - it falls on deaf ears.
My Murphy is wrong about the hours, but is spot on about the rest.
Stefan Zammit
Jun 19th 2011, 17:18
In my experience as a student, I got equal grades in subjects which I attended or did not attend private tuition. The subjects in which I got bad grades were either because I seriously never liked them, or politely put, the teachers or lecturers had lost the will to teach ages ago. In fact I think that I fared better in subjects where the younger generation of teachers taught me, and not the older ones who are sometimes favoured because of "experience".
Joe Fenech
Jun 19th 2011, 17:17
The long school hours is only a strategy to allow both parents to work and enhance consumption. School hours should actually be SHORTER and MORE focused. One can practically can pass exams on a couple of private lessons.
Children should be given the time to do the activities they want to do out of school and to do them in specialist schools. The generalist English education leads towards mediocrity. Why do you think the UK went down and it's so called specialists brought it to bankruptcy? It's because the educational system is churning out crap, except for the top 5 unis.
Mr steve Micalled
Jun 19th 2011, 20:22
There isnt that much of a difference with the amount of school time in the UK - they only have 3 weeks more than us. I taught in the UK for 7 mnths and the level of education is atrocious. Imperialist Britain may have given them a degree of snobbishness however they DO NOT have the level of education that we have here in Malta - it doesnt even compare!!
With regards to teachers in Malta - YES we are professional. We are professional because we give a damn about our pupils - we observe and cater for their needs, unlike the UK. The only thing, in my experience that UK schools care about is their school rating with Ofsted and what HMI will say when the inspectors visit the classrooms. And even then, out come the 'model' files, with the 'model' lesson plan for the 'model lesson. At least us Maltese teachers are truthful and dedicated from start to finish, working to the best of our ability Mr.Murphy. We think about the children before silly paper work and opinions!!!
Joe Fenech
Jun 20th 2011, 01:31
You can't generalise about English schools. Some are very good and not even the best Maltese independent school would compare. I appreciate what you're saying about OFSTED but things are not as straight forward as you describe them.
Victor Pulis
Jun 19th 2011, 14:48
No mtter how long school hours are, some parents will still insist their children attend private lessons even though they have no need to. That is where Mr. Murphy should have based his studies.
'
The study concluded that this(private tuition) was having a negative effect on students because it was restricting their leisure time in a way that is “psychologically and educationally undesirable”.
And yet we want to increase schooling hours. I suspect this study was conducted for parents who would like to go out to work
but are unable because they have no one to take care and babysit their children.
Ms Lina CARUANA
Jun 19th 2011, 17:29
Stop first of all shifting the issue on parents. Parents also carry their responsibilities but when you talk of education talk about students and teachers. Education exists to help parents carry their responsibilities to educate their children and then one should talk about the best of collaboration between parents and teachers.
Victor Pulis
Jun 19th 2011, 13:15
However, isn’t the short school year – in particular the three-month-long summer break – simply a direct consequence of the weather?
Goes to show how informed Mr. Murphy is.
Mr Peter Korsten
Jun 19th 2011, 20:40
Yes, such a pity that air conditioning hasn't yet made it to the Maltese islands.
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jun 19th 2011, 11:04
Here is another surprise, all those people I worked with at MATSEC please not carefully.
-----------------Moreover, he said, many countries have now seen the introduction of vocationally oriented subjects in order to engage a wider pool of students.
“These taught subjects would be work-related skills, and in some education systems, vocational subjects are also tied in with examinations,” he said.--------------------
When I said this over 40 years ago, people in education in Malta laughed at me, and the introduction of technical projects was misused by teachers and students and parents alike who prefered to use the dining room tables at private tuitions to learn to read written information. I never knew of a private tutor who took his students in a workshop or a laboratory all he imparted was " memory development techniques and how to pass examinations.
As Adam Smith one said," Education is for the convenience of the teachers and not for the good of the students!"
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jun 19th 2011, 10:52
Oh My, just look at this!
“Yes. Much teaching in Malta seems to be designed to impart factual knowledge. Elsewhere, students are encouraged to develop their thinking skills or what I call processing of information and reacing conclusions after observation.
When I was so young attending the School at Armerijja in Vittoriosa, I realized that many of my friends who tried to sit for the Lyceum Examination all failed, whereby all the children at Cottonera were regarded statistically as being behind the others. I myself prefered to leave the Secondary school and go for an apprenticship at the Royal Naval dockyard where the Dockyard school had a habit of teaching our mind to process the information around us and not to memorise information and become books with the whole class becoming a library!
This is part of what I wrote in the Education Comments on June 12 under IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE A MORE POSITIVE PARENT.
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jun 12th, 21:29
My opinion as a parent. We live in modern times and we have to bring our children in a manner where sooner rather than later they have to strengthen their wings and fly hopefully not too far away. Our children do not really belong to us and we are mere assistants to their welfare. One thing I realised since young is that the child’s mind is a delicate instrument and it is not an empty space to be filled with knowledge. It is a processor and it needs to be trained to process, and not to memorise knowledge. We should never form our children into books. With this in mind, it our duty to know more about children many years before they are born by first educating ourselves.
I myself believe that the first processing power that our children must behold is the manner in which they coordinate their minds with their limbs. We all are born with a degree of physical and mental clumsiness and education should be a means of eradicating this clumsiness from within ourselves and our children. So a child should first be given an opportunity to play and at the same time learn the importance of motion. The use of water and sand and ball motion which does not follow and retain shape as a plastic toy will make any child inquisitive about the changes that are taking place before him. To play with water and sand and a ball is always a processing procedure as first one is inquisitive about the properties of the elements being used and then one must learn how to handle them and coordinate one’s motion to deal with water sand and dynamics. Water has buoyancy, wetness, you cannot shape it, while sand could be wet and it can be shaped according to one’s wits. A ball on the other hand has a definite shape and yet its motion is not a definite shape.
I still have a swing in the doorway separating the kitchen and the entry hall at my home in which our child Sarah use to swing on at the age of two. What bewildered me is the fact that as a small child, she learnt how to swing on her own. I decided not to swing her and amazingly she started toing and frooing in a synchronised manner which caused the motion to become cumulative till she swung so liberally. She was learning the world around her on her own. Then at the age of three there was a bicycle and on the roof she managed to get a hold of that by being brave enough to swing the handlebars in the direction of the fall rather than the other side which a lot of people try to do.
Balancing on a pogo stick, a Lolo ball and somersaulting in between all the steel banisters at playgrounds gave her enough confidence to dive from high grounds into the water and swim faster than I could ever do.
While other children were memorising knowledge to obtain 98% I preferred for my daughter to play and game and to aim at 65% of any written examination thus she had ample time to play and get to know the world around her through a direct line and not through the pages of a book, a TV or a computer screen. People criticised me for my action telling me that she should aim for better examination marks. The truth of the matter was that when the class reached puberty age and the written knowledge or written information, became too vast to memorise it all, most girls in my daughter class followed their instinct in diverse manners and left schooling at 16 years old. I am not saying that schooling is better the following one’s natural instinct, but modern child preparation seems to demand a better schooling preparation for all modern young women.
Developing a child’s courage can be done in various manners and giving them freedom while retaining some security for them is a necessity. Children should be allowed to roam away from home when the time comes and learning by example is much more powerful than telling them. If one does not want a child to smoke and drink
and so on and on..................
Mr N. Agius
Jun 19th 2011, 10:51
Does Mr. Murphy have anything to say about the enormous schools being built which are creating an array of logistical problems to manage especially when it comes to discipline?
Mr Carmel Pule'
Jun 19th 2011, 18:19
There is a law which is called" the law of diminishing returns!"
It principle is very easy to understand. If you have a small field and you employ one man to cultivate it , then you will have a rate of growin food. If you have a larger field and you employ people in the same proportion as when you had one man for a certain area, there comes a time when the product is far less than what you expect because more men would mean more talking and more skiving etc. Unfortunately, when there are people involved, bigger does not mean better. Now if you replace people with Robots as most industry is now doing , ah that is different, production is in proportion to the robots, and even better for there is reducnancy and if one robot fails the others can make up easily for its loss, but with humans, as you say, returns will diminish the bigger one goes and this applies for schools and universities.
Mr John Bonnici
Jun 19th 2011, 22:55
Mr Pule' all you needed to do more in order to explain this in a better way , is to draw the graph, and show the diminishing gradient hahahah. However if the government is building more schools its a sign that there are more students. The main problem in my advice is the behaviour of students. Also we need teachers with more stamina. This though comes from experience and training, which I' m happy to say that UOM is doing its best in this aspect, which consistently sends its students to different schools in order for them to get hands on experience.