With reference to Mark Bugeja’s letter (The Sunday Times, August 21) it is a pity he makes no reference to the article A certificate for all seasons, (The Sunday Times, July 31) in reply to Martin Peter Farrell’s article (The Sunday Times, July 24) on the same subject.
Unlike other certificates obtained after children have proven to be academically capable, the Secondary School Certificate and Profile (and not, as Dr Bugeja calls it, the School Leaving Certificate) is the profile of the five-year secondary school cycle, including formal, informal and non-formal education as well as personal qualities and attendance.
The profile provides credit for attendance throughout these five years of secondary schooling. Moreover, it enables children to gain recognition of non-formal activities they participate in during the school year such as exhibitions, sports activities held during break time, talent shows, library help, school choir, ekoskola, students’ council and other activities held at school.
In addition, it credits informal education, including activities students take part in after school hours, which are extremely enriching. Informal education does not only mean piano lessons or other courses that end with an examination. It also means doing voluntary work with an organisation, assisting NGOs and so on – in short, crediting the students’ civic contribution to society.
The profile does not discriminate among students. On the contrary, it offers ample opportunities for recognition of different forms of educational experiences. It also recognises and gives credit to personal qualities. All students, including those with ADHD or dyslexia referred to by Dr Bugeja, still need to develop and nurture positive personal qualities that will be a credit for themselves and for others.
The profile gives credit to all students in such a way that it is recognised as part of the European Qualifications Framework, which is recognised throughout Europe.
There is no comparison between the usefulness of the previous School Leaving Certificate, which only listed students’ attendance and academic achievements and had little or no market value, and the new profile, which recognises and awards students for all their achievements (formal, informal and non-formal) as well as for attendance and personal qualities, giving them credit for the profile they build throughout secondary school.