Fr Peter launches scathing attack on education policy

Roger Tirazona

Dec 23rd 2011, 02:30

12 years have passed since the 1999 National Minimum Curriculum. Why are Malta's philosophers complaining now? Shouldn't their critique of this document have come out earlier? It is either because someone like PSI requires 12 years to analyse the NMC or because as this article said, he was a "one-time PN strategist and adviser" and it took 12 years for the gag to be removed.

charles caruana

Dec 19th 2011, 19:01

The root of the problem is this administration's fetish with and excessive reliance on sundry experts, consultants and educational managers, whose heads are most of the time buzzing with the latest educational buzzwords like total inclusion, the streaming bugbear, diversity, the sacred cow of equality, uniformity and on and on.Most of the time they are aping failed educational experiments inspired by the ideology of political correctness that has wrought devastation in once excellent educational systems like the British one. Centralization, bureaucratization, managerial control is all the craze. Yet the educational powers that be follow meekly the lead of the experts, effectively ignoring the vital contribution of teachers and parents after token consultation.I say, stop playing with our children's minds and futures, and start listening - and not just to 'experts'.

pat muscat

Dec 19th 2011, 09:25

The Minister for education has no shame; she's been a disaster in managing EU money for Maltese students, and today we have an other proof that she is incompetent. But when we see her going up Castille or when she is cutting a 'zugarella' she walks straight and upright as if she is God's gift to Maltese students! So Gonzi has to be told by Serracino Inglott that the new syllabus is a recipe for disaster? What do the Maltese ministers talk about when they are in Cabinet at Castille? Do they talk about the next Champion
League fixtures and the next headline for In-Nazzjon and PBS news?

Joseph Camilleri

Dec 18th 2011, 20:46

Mr Prime Minister

You are doing well in taking note. Yes when you take things over they start to work better as Mr Helwani noted. When you took hold of arriva it started to operate well. I am sure if you shake those morons in the education division , they will open their blocked eyes to see reality.

Shame that the ministger of education is blind to know what is going on in her department.

Pule' Carmel

Dec 18th 2011, 20:16

Many people have been warning about this and they went unheaded.

Joseph Grech Attard

Dec 18th 2011, 18:38

These situations make me laugh and cry! It has been typical of the Nationalist Party to let things go deep into the gutter and then start working for things to surface again and then the Prime Minister and the PN talk of progress. Sure, when one hits rock bottom one cannot go further down and one tends to start surfacing. But, prevention is better and less costly than cure! However, if one does not hit rock-bottom, how can blue-eyed boys and girls be employed in good jobs to try and cure what has been left, on purpose, to rot?

Mr ALBERT LEONE GANADO

Dec 18th 2011, 15:17

It is good to hear Fr Peter talk with such determination and passion about the structural faults in the new minimum national curriculum. When many others including myself experienced in various educational fields including myself spoke we were simply ignored. At least this government is likely to be more embarrassed and sympathetic to what Fr Peter is saying. That something is seriously wrong with the management of our whole education system should be apparent in the way we spend the most per capita within the EU and yet results place us in the lowest ranges of success. One major bane and fault in the whole education system is that rather than build and improve on what has been achieved by previous education authorities and educators, the new kids on the block attempt at great expense to reinvent the wheel their ego convinced that a new beginning and dawn will start and shine with their tenure. How many times has the teaching of science and new maths been confusingly and ineffectively remodeled. How many experiments on the use of computers have been tried all missing the role of ICT as an enabler of discovery. How many times have we tinkered with exams and their objectives. What about the various changes of fashion re inclusion, setting and streaming. We seem to be only good at creating new directors all with high sounding roles and personal convictions who manage and command top down with hardly any consultation and in the process forget that it is dedicated teachers in the classroom who given education room to manoeuvre create the learning environment that produces success.

Carmel Ellul

Dec 18th 2011, 14:23

Children need to be taught what they need to take through their life.
Try and engage a graduate in a profession in a subject not studied in his profession.
Try and engage in depth a subject taken up in the studies and at best you will be told how on earth you still remember these details?
We are giving our students the "CUT and PASTE" type of knowledge. i have my doubts how many students can actually grab a pencil and paper and write a report without making stupid spelling mistakes ( right , write , rite , all okayed in a spell checker).
Try and go to a meeting and a quick calculation is required , and see the fast move towards the closest calculator , nobody uses his brain to do simple calculations.
How many students are leaving the primary schools without knowing how to write??? and not SMS language please!!!!! How many students can show you on a map of Malta how to go from Valletta to Mellieha for example???
How many graduates can write perfect English and Maltese????
Why do we have to send our children to private classes otherwise they fail???
Politicians have been meddling with education methods these last 40 years and they have nothing to show for it except lowering the bench mark standards to keep the quantity of examination passes politically right.

D M Grech

Dec 18th 2011, 13:03

“Incidentally, I am in favour of this,” he [Fr Peter] said. “If it were up to me we would switch to a Presidential system, we would set up the second chamber (in the House of Representatives), we would change the Commission for the Administration of Justice because it is evidently not working... ”

Very valid points, pehaps The Times can research and publish where our political parties stand on these issues. Their thinking and proposals on these issues should be among the weighing factors for voters in the run-up to the next election.

Andrew Abela

Dec 18th 2011, 12:11

The school has a history which dates back from the medieval times which started basically in italy by culture lovers and scholars, parallel to schools there were, what are known, as 'botteghe', which in these particular small groups the method used was not to imply skills but rather to explore oneself (individual) in the doing. with the passing of time politics has institutionalized this phenomenon and with the advent of illuminism, saw that school and knowledge was important to everyone thus enters implementation. nowadays schools have become like factories with bells, groups of children according age, with a specific time, shutting forever the natural rhythm of life i.e. creativity and knowledge. what seems to be obvious is in reality not. children are in a time of their life were their creativity is at its peak, whilst adults seem to lose with time this creativity. therefore it is not that the school has to change the needs of the children, but the needs of the children has to change the school

MALCOLM SEYCHELL

Dec 18th 2011, 12:11

It is the prime minister fault. There are much better people elected in parliament onthe PN ticket and yet he chose, Dolores, Mifsud Bonnici. Probably the worse 2 people in the PN and he appointed them ministers....

Mr Joe Micallef

Dec 18th 2011, 11:50

I believe that the PN debate and its reporting is by far the best thing I've read on the Times for a long time.

Whilst without reserve I have great respect and gratitude for the work of Prof Serracino Inglott and that of Prof Joe Friggieri I want to add another perspective to the discussion which both are probably unable to include in their reasoning, that is, they both have no school age children. In the discussion of the reform do we factor in what parent's expect from their children's education?

I have two school age children and hence am in a position to overhear discussions, whenever it happens that I am waiting to collect children from school (I do not participate as, many times, I am as distant as the moon from their mind set). This kind of discussion is far more telling that any data collected in a research environment.

With respect, I ask
- How many parents complain that there are not enough exams?
- How many parents complain that not enough homework is given?
- How many parents are able to accept that children are not all academically inclined, in the process forever drowning any other capabilities?
- How many parents spoon feed their children’s homework?
- How many parents are not prepared to accept failures or mistakes?
- How many parents have already figured out what their children’s future should be?
- How many parents complain that too much time is wasted on drama, art and outings. Forget any discussion of including time for dance and singing?
- How many parents are obsessed with grades at final exam or even homework or dictation?

Any further changes to the education policy needs to include a massive “parent instruction campaign”

Michael Flaherty

Dec 18th 2011, 11:44

Ridiculous. Each school should have a system that caters for high achievers - it's such people that usually end up bored and getting lower grades than their peers, when in reality they could handle learning at a much faster pace. All this political correctness is getting us nowhere - let's call a spade a spade - there's no shame in needing some more time to understand something, but there is in holding back others.

Yes indeed, our educational system has gone for so long without updates that it basically needs to be torn apart and rebuilt from scratch. It is incredible how so many people at university are unable to even apply basic logic to their arguments. Also, why are we still limited to learning the same 5 languages? What's wrong with introducing Asian languages, and why is the teaching of foreign languages not started at an earlier stage, when it's much more likely to be picked up?

David Farrugia

Dec 18th 2011, 11:30

Il gvern falla f kollox

J. Scicluna

Dec 18th 2011, 11:27

Fr Peter launches scathing attack on education policy but, wonder of wonders, NOTHING of this was reported on PBS News!

This goes to prove the LP correct when it states that PBS is just an extention of NET TV!

N. Agius

Dec 18th 2011, 11:24

Basically this is what most teachers have been saying. However, the voice of Father Peter carries more weight than that of thousands of teachers.

Lawrence Fenech

Dec 18th 2011, 11:24

About time someone brings Cristina to her senses as she seems to know all.

Lina Caruana

Dec 18th 2011, 11:12

Much local research is required to be able to align our realities to the science of education. Unfortunately even if the National Minimum Curriculum was a bold and much needed step towards the right direction, it is now reflecting personalities rather than policy. Rigour in education is equal to incompetency and that does not always point to policy. Implementation often goes against policy. This has always hindered expected progress because some implementers wanted to run the show in spite of their short sightedness in the science of education. .

Dunstan Crockford

Dec 18th 2011, 11:00

This coming from an authority like Fr.Peter, should be heeded and acted upon...not just noted! Today we have a Minister who is shouldering so much in her remit....2 Director Generals! a Perm. Sec. and hundreds of `Directors`! and nothing of substance ever comes out!There are also numerous `consultants`who are well beyond their Best Before dates!Socks up PLEASE!

Victor Pulis

Dec 18th 2011, 10:50

The misfortune in this country is that we don't have people like Profs Seracino Inglott and Profs Friggieri in parliament. We also lack MPs who really appreciate culture and art. Of course the professors'words will be swept under the carpet and forgotten. The real experts where education is concerned are the teachers who face the class every day. The authorities must decide whether the teachers are professionals or just robots doing their master's bidding.

Hossam Helwani

Dec 18th 2011, 10:46

Mr Prime Minister, I have great respect for you , you managed to get arriva on its feet the minute you took the bull by the horns, You better do the same with the education system before it is too late. This is a system which is nothing but fantastical, utopic and a disaster.

Dr Anthony Licari

Dec 18th 2011, 10:46

Many times in my articles I wrote that Maltese education and socio-economic life are unrelated - as well as education and meritocracy. My comments were considered interesting at best and purely academic at worst. In Malta, expressing yourself about the need for education to be related to the requirements of the country, is a total waste of time. I also have proof that a first class Doctorate can earn from the educational authorities a mark of 12/22 in intellectual ability.

Paul Cassar

Dec 18th 2011, 10:43

THIS IN FACT WAS THE FIRST FORUM WHERE SOME OF MALTA'S REAL PROBLEMS WERE MENTIONED SQUARELY.............................perhaps because there were no pn diehards but pn pragmatists...............more such foras are needed.

Hossam Helwani

Dec 18th 2011, 10:43

Finally A man who saw through the " emperors new clothes story" Finally someone who has guts to halt this madness which was leading the nation to a massive educational disaster.

This new system which is hardly new at all was already tried miserably in the uk only to be discarded after failing miserably. But since the Education division is filled to the brim with experts and directors and managers who spent all their lives climbing the ladder of promotions, now they can impose fantastical utopic ideas on the teachers who have been left in the shadows to bear the consequences. We Have head teachers and assistant head masters who ran away from the class rooms at the early age of 30, to enjoy the chair of giving out orders. Not to mention principals who boast of their achievements like cockerels on a barn. But where is this leading to? Another disaster in about 5 years when like 1973 they started to impliment a similar situation only to realise that it failed. We seem never to learn from past mistakes.

So here we go again, another carnival in the education system thanks to all those who went to new zealand and scotland ( english speaking) without ever taking into account we are in a European Union full of diverse rich educational countries , but sadly the big heads in the education system only speak english so we must miss out thanks to their defficiencies.

R Axisa

Dec 18th 2011, 10:31

Everyone is saying that the new NCF is everything but good and all the big heads keep repeating and brainwashing everyone how excellent it is. And finally Profs Peter Serracino Inglott said it all! It had to be him - may be the PM will think about it! I bet he does, but I also bet that everything will keep going on in the same direction - decisions have already been taken irrespective of all the seminars and workshops done lately by all the teaching staff! And the educational system keeps strolling downwards!

J Degabriele

Dec 18th 2011, 10:29

What is needed is the type of education given to the over 40s, of course with the inclusion now practised but in a different manner. No matter how many millions are spent on education there will always be a number who do NOT want it!
It's not the new schools that are going to make a difference, though they are a help. It's the people!

Joanne Micallef

Dec 18th 2011, 10:19

Sounds like it was quite an interesting debate, where real problematic issues were addressed and discussed for a change.

David Pace

Dec 18th 2011, 10:13

I think the basic problem is that both the education department and the Faculty of Education are not listening to us and the same problems that plagued the National Minimum Curriculum are rearing their ugly heads. It's as if all the so-called experts and consultants never learned and the Framework will actually dismantled the positive steps taken by the NMC. So instead of building upon each step, they are obliterating the good that has been done before to start anew, and this, obviously will result in new problems that will be difficult to solve. Even the director system is flawed. How come notwithstanding so many supposedly "managerial" positions that have been set-up, headmasters can't find the time to do real "school" work but are bogged down with endless paperwork? How will teachers be able to prepare a lesson for every student due to having mixed ability classes when every class has 25 students? If the system is being praised because it caters for low-achievers, what is it giving the high-achievers who end up being bored and even disruptive in class? What about discipline? Why doesn't the Framework even mention it?

I would have thought that with some many phenomenal experts working on the Framework, these questions would have been the first to be answered!

Instead, there's nothing about such fundamental problems in four huge books published concerning the Framework.

Joe Busuttil

Dec 18th 2011, 10:09

And yet she still extends her hand to receive the 500 Euros she got from her boss behind our backs. Let the teachers,the ones who really are the experts, have their say.

Charles Sammut

Dec 18th 2011, 09:58

Students are being instructed not taught. They are being programmed to pass academic exams and when they face real life exams they are failing miserably. While this might be an effective way to control and manipulate the masses, it is doomed to result in long term social problems.

I find it particularly sad that we go to ridiculous lengths to help problematic students at the expense of the better ones in the name the latest buzz words, inclusion and diversity. This is resulting in the dumbing down of everybody to the lowest common denominator. In this upside down world we live in, where good is bad and bad is good, anybody who dares to raise his head above the mediocre level risks having it chopped off.

Smart boards and laptops in every classroom are all well and good, but we achieved better results when we had blackboards (now a politically incorrect word!) and copybooks.

john muscat

Dec 18th 2011, 09:50

This article all means that the PN is out of control of everything--- his back benchers, his administration, his enormous national(ist) debt, education, courts, prison, roofless opera house, TM, public transport, etc.

Jimmy Magro

Dec 18th 2011, 09:44

A good debate and it continues to prove the need for constant change in a dynamic society.

Education is NOT ONLY about building schools. This is necessary. But the best Key Performance Indicator is how many students are leaving school with education certificates and with education for life. Malta has still one of the highest of students dropping out of the educational system. We need to improve our performance to make Malta more competitive with high technical workforce.

Education should not only be the NMC. Studnets need to be able to argue, make presentations, have a wide general knowledge as this is what makes a man and a woman.

There has been many instances where students were quizzed through simple questions which they could not respond. This is bad.

One should not be afraid to change. Building on the good we have and changing for the better is something that should be accepted by all.

j brincat

Dec 18th 2011, 09:32

It's time for the PM to blow the whistle in Malta's interest.

Criticism is coming from everywhere by everybody.

Government fatigue can be seen and felt by one and all.

Malta urgently needs a fresh breath of life!

All we are saying 'Please give Malta a chance'.

(jb)

(jb)

Joe Scerri

Dec 18th 2011, 09:29

The first thing that should be done is to revert back to the much simpler and superior system that existed in the past:

No matsec papers riddled with mistakes but GCE / GCSE
No system of knowledge - ask any student what they think about this subject
No hotchpotch of 2 A levels and 4 interim but just 3 A levels.

Paul Caruana

Dec 18th 2011, 09:27

We do need education....we do not need thought control!