Gonzi underlines education priority for the government
In no other sectors was the government’s success more evident than in education and jobs, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.
Speaking at a political conference which focused on education, Dr Gonzi said the government had always acknowledged that the key to the country's future lay in having a well trained workforce which was able to create and take opportunities for the creation of wealth.
Under PN governments, he said when speaking in Qawra, the University population had grown several times over, and this government had also opened a wealth of other post-secondary courses, including Mcast and the Institute of Tourism Studies..
In contrast, the PL was putting its own interests before the country, to the extent that Labour had said it would vote against the Education Act, currently in parliament. For Labour, politics had become a game. But for the government, the future of Malta's young was a priority, and not a game, Dr Gonzi said.
The PN wanted the best education for Malta's children, also because that translated into the best future for the country.
Dr Gonzi said the government was spending €1.4 million on education every day and building at least one new school every year. The government had invested heavily in IT in classrooms and also achieved new standards in inclusive education as evidenced by the work of Learning Support Assistants.
All this was money well spent.
Other speakers in the discussion were Education Minister Dolores Cristina and Karl Grech, former president of the KSU. The latter said that PL declarations ultimately showed that it was 'not that cool' to be Labour. There were doubts about Labour's commitment to stipends, he said, and its policies on education were vague.
Mrs Cristina said the sharp increase in the number of students in post-secondary education was shown by the fact that the government needed to extend the Upper Secondary School and also create new premises and campuses for the ITS and Mcast. The government, she said, would also continue to focus strongly on the vocational sector, particularly on the skills society needed, such as care for the elderly. Parents had peace of mind about the education of their children only when the PN was in government, Mrs Cristina said.
Near the end of his address Dr Gonzi appeared to be referring to the ongoing ACTA debate and criticism made of the government. The PN, he said, was the party which brought computers to Malta when others wanted to keep them out. It introduced mobile phones when others were scared of them, and it was the one which defended the right for freedom of expression.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Second group of migrants arrives
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
50 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Anthony Pace Gouder
Feb 13th, 18:58
Veru kas li meta tkun fil-Poter , u anki semplici attivist jew membru iffissat ta partit politiku , ikun liema jkun il-partit, jintilef kull sens ta' ragunar u gudizzju u kollox jghaddi , kollox tajjeb u kemm ahna tajbin . Successi fuq successi !
Ahjar issaqsi lil-POPLU !
John Zammit
Feb 13th, 15:31
I am surprised by the way the Prime Minister is talking about Prof.Scicluna regarding stipends.Why is the Prime minister not mentioning Frof J. Camilleri,the rector M.Bonello ex governor of the central bank R.Chalmers chairman Bank of Valletta and the National Commision for Higher Education who all had ther say regarding Stipends
Lawrence Fenech
Feb 13th, 09:00
Bil-ghajnuna ta' Dolores mhux bilfors " success".
Jay Oatmon
Feb 13th, 08:12
Its very easy to understand - unskilled school drop outs do not find work because there are better more skilled people after the same jobs.
It's no rocket science it is the free market - if you won't or can't perform then someone else will.
Jay Oatmon
Feb 13th, 08:08
Typical politics - all talk no action, no one fired for mistakes, no admission of obvious failings, no one accountable, everything deniable - all one happy family!
Victor Vella
Feb 12th, 23:30
Gonzi boasted that his Gonzi PN built a state of the art hospital and it is a disgrace.
He built a roofless parliament and marred the soul of Valletta with that monstrous building that is incongruent to the a baroque city.
Now he boasts that he builds new schools and the EU told him that Maltese students are leaving school early and the number of illiterate people in Malta are the highest in Europe.
The usual lies, lies and more lies. A a par idejn sodi of lies.
John Scerri
Feb 13th, 09:32
Dear Vistor if it were not for your knowledge of the truth we would never know the truth....Thanks for not giving us lies , lies and more lies .
raymond scicluna
Feb 13th, 10:53
With all the disgrace you are picturing mater dei, perit mintoff and other patients are prolonging their life thanks to mater dei structure and to their dedicated and professional staff. The latter is qualified by all means unlike as it used to be during the old mintoffian years where a nurse would be hired simply if he s strong or not. Then claiming the monstruous building of strait street is a blatant lie. I use that road nearly every week and it is not narrow that the last thing you do is looking high. I did so one your daily journal L-Orizzont mentioned the whole ordeal. I remain speechless on the matter cause even l orizzont had great difficulty to take the picture properly let alone how the people on the street would have taken themselves to task to do a big effort and look high. Re schools under mintoffian years please be informed that due to the bad state and maintenance of the school, students used to keep peeing on the chair till year 5. The wooden apertures were high and could not be closed. It was only pre 1987 that the labour party started painting the school and repeat paining not building. To be honest and more credible MR Vella, it is important to state from where the Pn embarked to what we relish today.
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 23:02
Gonzi has gone on recordsayinh that the present govwernment is spending €1.4 million per day equivalent to €511 million .
.
Why is Gonzi coming with these bombastic figures? He already mentioned €4 million per day for health and €1000 billion that he was able to get from the EU as funds.
.
Does he really think all the maltese are as darn stupid as those who waste their time listening to him on Sundays.
Yakof Agius
Feb 12th, 20:37
How can he underline that education is a priority when St.Augustine's Primary School, has been halted by MEPA?
Dan bis-serjeta jew?
Let's hope he doesn't underline his priorities for the health sector ...
rueben pitre
Feb 12th, 20:33
Dr. Gonzi llum qal li l-PN dejjem iggieled favur il-liberta tal-hsieb u dahhal il-computers u l-mobiles. But how come in his whole speech, Dr. Gonzi did not mention anything about ACTA, and how it was kept hidden from us? That means that Dr. Gonzi ignored all those youths who yesterday protested in Valletta against ACTA!
marthese tonna
Feb 12th, 20:27
Dr. Gonzi, what about when you reduced the stipends in 2005?
M. Attard
Feb 12th, 19:46
"In no other sectors was the government’s success more evident than in education and jobs"
If this is true, then Gonzi never succeeded in anything. Can imagine his failures in other sectors compared to his evident successful failure in education and eventually in jobs. Education is not the money you give away, its what actually people learn and practice. The only jobs that succeeded in a way are the ones that had 500 euros rise in a week and other commissions.
raymond scicluna
Feb 12th, 19:33
Dr Gonzi sorry to tell you but i still hear friends and others commending education under the mlp administrations. Can you pl turn back the clock, place the numerus clausus again in our tertiary education but give our children those three or four copy books free, some milk and some omega three tablets and pl there is no need for school maintenance do it just on the eve of the election so that then the labour have to pay for it. Thanks and hope my request would be favourably considered.
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 19:32
With regards the stipends wasn't it Dr Gonzi who decreased them in 2005?
John Zammit
Feb 12th, 18:38
Speaking at a party conference the Prime Minister spoke about education.What he didn't say was that According to Eurostat we are at the bottom among European countries where children are concerned on leave school before the age of 16.Why the Prime Minister didn't mention anything about stipends.Is there any more fine tuning in the Pipeline
Joseph Mifsud
Feb 12th, 18:37
The EU statistics says 34% leave school early, why ? How can Maltese businesses find employees who are willing to accept to work with the minimum wage because they were school drop outs. Who makes Malta's education policy the EU or Malta's businessmen ?
Kevin Marks
Feb 12th, 18:14
Ma tkellmitx il ministru ta l edukazzjoni fuq kemm tlifna fondi mill UE mhabba t tbabis li kellha fil ministeru
jew dak ma jdoqqx ghall udjenza li kellha quddiema
Peppi Borg
Feb 12th, 17:41
It's interesting how today the PM didn't elaborate on the PL's plans for the stipends after Joseph Muscat's reply during The Times debate.Or perhaps he forgot that during his second year in his legislature, he decreased substantially the students' stipends! Is there anything in the pipeline for stipends which we do not know gonzipn? My concern and that of many is that 1/3 of Maltese students are failing the education system though as a country we are spending huge millions on infrastructure but stones and green schools alone do not make and prepare tomorrow's citizens.This is not my or P:'s opinion... Its the Eurostat statistics which put Malta bottomline where 16 year olds do not continue tertiary education. I was expecting Gonzi to illuminate us on these shameful figures.
sharon farrugia
Feb 12th, 17:22
About time that the pn is going to focus on the education itself.. Dear prim Minister please why dont you visit the ITS school and ask the Education Minister why students from the foundation course are suffering of lack of teachers in the main subjects, like maths, german ect. This school will teach students for the turism sector which is the main source of income for our economy If these students fail today, we cant find trained workers in that field tomorrow. Anyone is accountable please?
Kevin Marks
Feb 12th, 18:18
Jew ITS jaghlu 4 snin course inkluz sena barra minn mata jigu lura u jahdmu f lukanda bit 3 xhur definite contract jew Mc D
Janice Buttigieg
Feb 12th, 19:11
Should also visit the University to see first hand the number of lectures that are missed by students either by lecturers cancelling or in some cases not turning up!
R Axisa
Feb 13th, 07:07
@Janice Buttigieg - jew inkella l-istudenti jitilghu l-universita' ghal-lecture ta' saghtejn u wara 5 minuti l-lecturer jibaghthom 'l hemm ghax ried imur Ghawdex ghax kellu long weekend il-gimgha l-ohra. Nispera' li ma jithallasx ta' dawk is-suppost saghtejn lecture.
Silvio Abela
Feb 12th, 17:09
I suggest to those who think that our education system is God's gift to the world, to see the results of the PISA, PIRLS and TIMS reports. I suggest they ask why we have 34% (debatable as can reach 39%) of 16 year olds leaving schooling when the EU average is around 15%. I suggest they see not just the numbers entering the institutions they mentioned but also the numbers of those who successfully completed what they started. I suggest them to see why MCAST is seen as a 2nd chance institution. Why there are so many following "basic" courses (although there are a good amount who do not).
Stop all the political non-sense and look at the facts. 66% going to further schooling is not a good figure. Compare it with Finland's (around 4%) and South Korea, Those are the yardsticks we need to copy. Finnish students are constantly ranging with the top of the world. We need to ask why.
Those of the Maltese that make it big in accademia here or elsewhere are only a part of the minority groups. The difference between them and the others is far greater than building a bridge between Malta and Gozo.
William Massa
Feb 12th, 16:37
Trade schools should have never been removed. They were excellent for those students who were not capable to cope up with the accademical subjects. I agree with Mr. m borg that no one was held responsible for the loss of funds for education from the EU. Halluna hbieb.........
Noel Mifsud
Feb 12th, 16:32
Wara 8 snin tajjeb li taghmel priorita l edukazzjoni peroi l ewwel pass hu li tnehhi lil min gerfex fija, u tibda bir rizenja tal Ministru fuq it tahwid li hawwdu fuq l Ewropa. Grazzi u nibew nemmnuk.
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 14:17
How about kicking out the one who cost Malta so many millions of Euros in educational funds from the EU.
.
That is when we start believing you Dr Gonzi about your committment to education.
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 14:14
"The PN, he said, was the party which brought computers to Malta when others wanted to keep them out." one big fat lie.
I had my first computer in 1976 a Commodore 64.
.
It is unbelievable that a person holding such a high office has to restore to blatant lies.
.
Did he forget the computers installed by a labour government to handle the social services which were bombed during the "mysterious bombing period" prior to 1987 when a PN government took power and then stopped all of a sudden.
Silvio Abela
Feb 12th, 16:58
It can't have been a Commodore 64 as it came out in 1982! Maybe a Commodre PET yes. Be precise please to be more credible
Giov DeMartino
Feb 12th, 18:09
Jien ukoll kelli videorecorder..........imma allahares nghid kif kont akkwistajtu! Nghid biss li kien swieni ERBAMITT LIRA MALTIJA,
Henry Spiteri
Feb 12th, 19:50
Not even a Comodore PET, as this was released in January 1977!
A Trapani
Feb 12th, 22:29
Get your fcts right sur m.borg (slm) before accusing others of lieing when you're the one doing so.
raymond scicluna
Feb 13th, 08:20
Mr Borg(slm) once again you are at fault re your Commodore 64 but never mind cause that is a small detail to my reasoning, however, much more in terms of your credibility. Well it matters not which Commodore model was but at what cost and what did you do with a 64kb pc??You have ample time to tell me how much it cost you and did it make your life better. Today s pcs and laptops avail of high performance, very cheap and do a hell of difference in every body's every day's life.
Victor Calleja
Feb 12th, 13:49
Mhux ahjar jghidilna ghax ir rettur ta l-univerzita qal li listipendi mhumiex sostenibbli u hu rega appuntah.
Mr ALBERT LEONE GANADO
Feb 12th, 13:29
I will refrain to comment on what the PM said other than there seems to be a beneficial consensus among our parties albeit with different tactical strategies that more education both for our young students as well as an increase in lifelong learning programmes is the critical and leading success factor to ensure the future success of our nation. However my main comment is about what Karl Grech a former president of the KSU and no doubt as many other past presidents a serving acolyte of the PN inner circle stated namely an oft repeated mantra that it is "no cool' to be Labour'
For a long time the PN managed to sell its claimed superior brand "tal marka" among youths and my children assure me that some of the leading lights in ther current PL lineup and their contemporaries hid both at school and at University their political affiliation for fear of being considered as not with it. A professor friend of mine postulates that the PL lost some of its brightest young elements to the PN because it was seen as not cool or a benefit to your advancement to be seen as a PL supporter. Nor did the PL grassroots help for they tended to look with suspicion at anyone who seemed cerebral and lacked work dirtied hands and overalls. Things are now rapidly changing and one notices a reverse process taking place at university. The KSU is increasingly seen as an irrelevant and conservative dinosaur. Being cool and having liberal ideas is now increasingly associated with leaning towards the PL . Many candidates within the PL now boast tertiary degrees in fields much more relevant to the nation than a caucus of first degree lawyers . It makes me wonder what being a cool student now means politically.
Etienne G
Feb 12th, 12:48
The funniest (or scariest) thing about this is, the government is ready to spends thousands in interactive boards (which are useless for any level of education which isn't Kindergarten) but refrains from investing in important apparatus for experiments (especially when it comes to Physics).
The interactive boards' pens will be stored in safes! There's a safe in each class where one of these boards is installed.
Nice substance eh?
Charles W. Sammut
Feb 12th, 12:45
"The PN, he said, was the party which brought computers to Malta when others wanted to keep them out. It introduced mobile phones when others were scared of them, and it was the one which defended the right for freedom of expression. "
Gonzi once more treating people like morons with dementia. I was importing computers on a commercial basis in 1984, that's 3 years before the PN won the May 1987 election. The duty on computers was 8% which is 10% less than the VAT being levied now. As for mobile phones, well, they started to become available at less than ridiculous prices in the late 1980s, no thanks to any political party. Same with the Internet.
But the most tragic mistake made first by Agatha Barbara under an MLP administration and repeated by Dolores Cristina under a PN administration was the dumbing down of the education system in the name of equal opportunity, diversity and all the other wacky politically correct justifications to drag everybody down to the lowest common denominator. This has had a disastrous effect on the level of education. Just a glance at many of the comments here and on Facebook will confirm this deplorable state of affairs.
It has become cool to be ignorant, vulgar and mediocre. Instead of providing help to those that can best avail themselves of it, great effort is wasted on those who very often are hopeless cases anyway. How sad for our future generations. The epitome of socialism.
Why do we have schools and facilities for children with special needs but none for children with special abilities? One need not exclude the other.
Joanne Micallef
Feb 12th, 12:20
Is he for real?????????????????????? Our system has failed students past and present big time, will not comment on the future as hope is the last to die, but if we keep on this track we'll only have more robots on the market who know ALOT of theory and little else.
Joe Felice-Pace
Feb 12th, 12:34
How come that the vast majority of Maltese graduates, etc. who pursue their studies abroad register very good, of tenexcellent, results. Is this "a failure" or a certificate of competence to our educational system?
Mr Anthony Briffa
Feb 12th, 12:46
Can you quote instances where our system has failed students, past and present, big time? This is a very vague statement in that if it is not substantiated by facts it will be worthless.
Education reform is an ongoing matter, and legislation needs to be updated from time to time according to the system's performance through the years. The legislator needs to know where the system failed.
The education bill at the moment infront of parlaiment is an example where party politics should take second place, behind the interest of our present and future students. A serious debate should be expected by all from both sides of the house, in order that parliament can give our education the best system,
Victor Vella
Feb 12th, 12:51
Joanne.
I agree with you regarding the robots on our streets, but allow me to ask you one thing, as a parent would you simply let your kids watch telly and play on the net or would you insist that you take them to the country side and let them get down and dirty with nature, would you take them camping and let them learn about how to deal with small emergencies?Would you let them catch a snake? Let the kids get to know nature and talk to them about every day things, otherwise yes we are producing robots
Paul Bartolo
Feb 12th, 13:10
JOANNE MICALLEF:
11,000 MALTESE students at University are ROBOTS ??
600 FOREIGN students in the University of Malta are ROBOTS ??
7,000 MALTESE students at MCAST are ROBOTS ??
600 MALTESE students at ITS are ROBOTS ??
Are you saying that University degrees are "KARTA TAL-INCOVA" ??
All these students have FAILED ??
Franco Farrugia
Feb 12th, 13:14
'Our system has failed students past and present big time'.
Perhaps you can elucidate, pray?
ken camilleri
Feb 12th, 14:32
There is only one way to fix that. Remove the stipends and instead give the money to the University. Our University is ranked one of the worst in the world. R&D is minimal. While students take their stipends and spend it on booze, fuel their cars and clothing.
Only students who really need should get stipends. The University should propose a modest payment per course for the Maltese. Special Loans should be given to students without interest but must be paid back. Our students have no work experience and as you well said too much theory.
Why does Malta have to be different from the rest of Europe. I say why re invent the wheel.
Angus Black
Feb 12th, 14:52
No teachers' strikes. No 20 points and a parrinu in order to be admitted to university. Students and not Ministers decide the career of their choice. Building a new MCAST and not dismantling the polytechnic.
The policy of the NP is a 'building up education' and not like the (M)LP who reduced education as a secondary necessary evil. Computers in every classroom and not barring computers 'because they dull one's mind'.
One new school every year and not patch-up jobs. Modern technology not blackboard and chalk antiquities.
Students receive top awards in international competitions - a sign that the quality of education in Malta is first class. More students are opting for tertiary education because they can, they want and find a place within the ever expanding system. Stipends not student loans.
Angus Black
Feb 12th, 14:53
The 'robots' exist in our modern industries, some of which are designed and built by university and MCAST students. Our industries are staffed by trained local former students and not by foreigners. Ask ST, Lufthansa Technic, SR and others who absorb every graduate they can lay their hands on.
Rewind to the 70s and 80s when menial jobs were the MLP successes, where sewing pieces of cloth was regarded as security for the future, where 'pioneer' corps were the government's way of reducing high unemployment rates and when the government controlled imports of basic food and fed the public what and when it could find cheaper and lesser quality brands. When buying a colour TV was an outright ordeal.
When enjoying decent food, chocolate, toothpaste etc, meant smuggling them and if caught one paid a hefty customs duty or had the goods confiscated.
Joanne, go get an education which, while this government lasts, is free and you are paid to further your knowledge, and do not permit yourself to turn into a robot remotely controlled by Joseph & Co who are, after all, the products of the Mintoffian mentality of the 70s and 80s.
Michael Mercieca
Feb 12th, 15:51
What on earth are you on about. How can you say our system has failed students when not only is education free in Malta , but you are also paid to obtain it through stipends. We have a very competitive and efficient workforce here so speak for yourself if you have a lot of theory and little else.
Joe Felice-Pace
Feb 12th, 15:55
In their vast majority Maltese students who have gone abroad to pursue further studies have achieved good, sometimes excellent, results. Doesn't that belie Ms Micallef generic assertion.
Rachel Borg
Feb 12th, 12:19
Substance! Gonzi today spoke about substance mhux dwar il-hmerijiet li jitkellem dwarhom Muscat! This is how a sunday djalogu should be like!
m. borg (slm)
Feb 12th, 14:15
It takes one to recognise one, my dear.