As the political tablet war raged, a former senior educational official this evening said the introduction of these gadgets in the classroom had to be accompanied with teacher training.

Frederick Fearne, the father of Labour candidate Chris Fearne, said the introduction of tablets will invariably lead to teething problems and cautioned against a widespread roll-out across all years.

"I agree with Labour's strategy to go for Year 4 students only because it will allow teething problems to be solved and teachers to be trained," he said.

A similar concern was raised by former Malta Union of Teachers president John Bencini, who insisted teachers had to be prepared for the tablet phenomenon.

The tablet debate took centre-stage on One TV's Affari Taghna hosted by John Bundy, which was recorded under a domed tent in Senglea.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat, who formed part of the audience, took it upon himself to give an oversimplified definition of a tablet to remove misconceptions among older people who were left questioning whether this was a medicine: "A tablet is a flat thing that one can touch and write on.

It's not a pill: how they defined tablet

  • A flat thing that one can touch and write on - Joseph Muscat
  • A computer... like a frame with a glass surface that does marvelous things - John Bencini

Taking the cue from the concerns raised, Dr Muscat said the tablet proposal formed part of the party's plan to improve literacy. "Experts told us that Year 4 was the ideal entry point for such technology because it was a crucial year to hone literacy skills."

He said under Labour's proposal the children will get to keep the tablet, which will be "cutting edge technology". He also asked whether the Nationalist Party's proposal to lease tablets meant children will have to return the device.

Media expert and University lecturer Carmen Sammut said the tablet was not a magical device and had to be accompanied by an educational strategy. She noted that an English school that introduced tablets found that almost half of them were broken a year later.

"This must not be a sexy gadget to attract votes... It has to be introduced thoughtfully in such a way that will help bridge the digital divide," Dr Sammut said.

Labour education spokesman Evarist Bartolo said the tablet proposal was one of other initiatives the party will be rolling out in the educational field aimed at improving literacy. He said school heads and teachers will be involved in decision-making at school level.

Mr Bartolo spoke of the need for greater decentralisation and insisted a Labour government will build on the good done in the educational system.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com

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