MUT says classroom figures are misleading

Doris Farrugia

Oct 26th 2011, 17:45

Mr Camilleri, it seems very clear that you don't work in a school especially a primary school where every class has one teacher literally on her own,teaching,caring and do everything that has to be done ON HER OWN with a number of around 23-25 children depending on the age.In kindergarten the number of children are maximum of 20 for the 4 year olds and 15 for those aged 2years 10 months-3 years.The ratio stated in the feature is not the truth at all.

steve Micallef

Oct 26th 2011, 18:02

Stop saying such ridiculous comments, and be careful you know TRUE facts before you comment. For your information VERY FEW classes are anything less than 15 pupils - most are anything from 20 upwards. It has just been stated that statistics are misleading !!!!!! helloooooo!!!!!! anyway, if children are to be taught through differentiated learning, as desired and proposed by the NMC, classes must be reduced.

Also, for your information Mr.Camilleri, a small class does NOT mean a holiday for any professional teacher. We all do a lot of work at home to plan good lessons with good materials for YOUR children. Please don't be blinded by a silly gadget called an Interactive Whiteboard - it is still up to the TEACHER to do planning and caring of pupils.

PLEASE GROW UP AND BE MATURE - IT IS OUR WORK THAT BRINGS CHILDREN FORWARD IN THEIR FUTURES. If we have better work conditions and YES - a better pay check (its not as grand as you are led to believe!!) - we can do our work as professionally as teachers abroad - AND BETTER!!!

James Camilleri

Oct 26th 2011, 19:21

Good back to school maybe you will learn something yet. Maybe this time round you will grow up. Before uttering senseless and nonsensical stupidities check your facts. The survey was on the ratio of teacher-pupil not class-pupil which is a very very different thing. But I gues you cannot fathom that.

Adrian Zerafa

Oct 26th 2011, 19:22

Loads of ....paroli fil-vojt! Classes have around 22 kids on average. I went to classes two years ago with 28 kids in Year 1, if you believe that. You have no clue of what you are talking about. Teaching is NOT an easy job. And by the way...our pay is nothing much either...after 13 years of teaching I get 1299 euros a month clear.

Maria Agius

Oct 26th 2011, 16:50

It lowers the ratio but not the class size as a few subject teachers take over primary classes for a short time. The class size however remains what it is and I know of classes with 17, 20, 22 students but definitely not less than the rare 12. The statistics uncovered nothing but presented misleading information that rightly caused a great commotion of disbelief among people who know the situation in schools.

FRANS H SAID

Oct 26th 2011, 13:51

This is irrelevant. An actual cencus would give a better picture. But all this is propaganda on the run up to the elections.

Jurgen Farrugia

Oct 26th 2011, 16:10

@Mr.Said
Why is everything have to have a tie with the election for PL?Is that all that matters for you?Can you just be a little patriot and be grateful of the advances that have taken place through the year in the education system.Because let's face it,No PL candidate can critisice education,because no one have ever done more for education than PN

Mr Stanley Fenech

Oct 26th 2011, 14:03

In previous years, pupils who had problems during their school days ended up dropouts. The problem in Malta is that we always tend to get hooked to extremes. Unfortunately the most who are ending up suffering the consequences are the students themselves. Having said that, I believe that this time round, the issue being indicated by the MUT is correct. It is useless to use statistics when the values being used do not take into consideration certain factors and parameters.

Emma Grima

Oct 26th 2011, 19:27

@Geaorge Calleja

Your 'every simple excuse' shows how misinformed you are. There is actually a lack of LSA's because the number of students with special needs is actually on the increase and this is only because awareness has grown and these students are finally being given their sacrosant rights!!!!

@ Stanley Fenech

What 'extremes' are you talking about? Do you know that an average class may possibly have an average of 5 to 6 students who will be needing some kind of support? LSA's do not only take care of statemented students. And what is more another phenomenon is emerging, one that maybe us parents have brought on ourselves. There are students who suffer from SEBD (social, emotional, behaviour disorder). I would really like to see some of you working in this kind of environment and being paid peanuts for it!!!!

FRANS H SAID

Oct 26th 2011, 13:52

It is still pre election propaganda.

Doris Farrugia

Oct 26th 2011, 17:08

Not even in Kindergarten when all the children need individual attention are of that size.Those having 4 year olds have 20 pupils,the three year olds and those having children aged 2 years 10 months have 15 children in each class.All the years I worked in Kinder,I never had a class smaller than 17 obviously 4 year olds,and when i had the 3 year olds,I always had a full class of 15.I'm really curious where these small classes happen to be!

Ruth Attard

Oct 26th 2011, 22:19

Dear Mr Muscat, are you sure you are not confusing complementary teachers with LSA's? As a matter of fact complimentary teachers are STRONGLY advised not to take one student alone, for their own protection so what you are stating here is definitely not the case