Malta has done it again, distinguishing itself for... practically bagging the bottom spot in an international literacy study (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, PIRLS for those who dislike mouthfuls).

Well, not quite last, but coming in at number 35 out of 45 participating countries isn’t any reason to get the champagne corks popping either. You can read the full report here: www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130411/local/maltese-schoolchildren-lag-in-reading-skills.465037.

For some weird reason, we always end up doing badly in these international fora. I had already written about it here: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120316/blogs/the-dunces-of-europe.411392 – and of course, I got lambasted for pointing out the obvious.

When I write ‘for some weird reason’, what I mean is, of course, that the actual reason is so obvious that it’s slapping us in the face. The clarification is being made solely in aid of those poor souls who don’t get sarcasm.

There’s something spectacularly wrong with our education system, and the evidence has been staring at us for quite a while. Sure, it’s free for those who want it to be so. Sure, it’s run by qualified people. But something, somewhere is not gelling.

The problem is not even literacy per se. The majority can read and write... after a fashion. After all, ‘chat-speak’ qualifies as writing, too, right?

Wrong.

There are hundreds of students who emerge triumphantly from university, degree (and half a dozen beer cans) in hand. Many of them find it impossible to string two sentences together in decent English – or decent Maltese, or Italian, or whatever, for that matter.

You’re probably asking yourselves on what evidence I’m basing this statement. Simple. On scores of e-mailed CVs and covering letters (most of them accompanied by top-tier degrees and diplomas, which makes you wonder just how stringent standards are nowadays). And on what I see around me. Real life has a harsh way of making any form of incompetence stand out.

So yes, Malta is in dire straits where education is concerned. If you want it in cliché format, tomorrow’s leaders will suck big-time. Before some over-zealous reader pipes up, of course I’m very well aware that we can hardly put the blame for this on the current government.

This doesn’t mean said government is off the hook. Lately, the words ‘education strategy’ are being bandied about with abandon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to hear this – but I would be even happier if this weren’t invariably followed by mention of the word ‘tablet’.

Since when has providing free tablets (much as I admit I love the idea and am contemplating producing a couple of sprogs just to benefit from it – not) become the number one strategy in eradicating illiteracy?

Pre-election, both political parties kept throwing the T-word about for all the world like a waiter at a wedding throws out pastizzi to the hungry hordes of nanniet. For a while it was almost like the two political parties were getting some kind of kickback from a hardware company. Just to make it clear, I jest. You never know, the national sense of humour might be on vacation or something.

Now that the post-election high is over, the T-word is being wheeled out again, with the education minister telling us that the “illiteracy strategy is to be launched soon” and that the “tablet plan will be unveiled”... albeit with the disclaimer that there’s “no hurry” to actually do this.

Read my lips. It’s going to take a shedload more effort than simply giving out a free tablet to transform Joe Jnr from someone who can’t spell the difference between ‘you’re’ and ‘your’ into a budding Einstein.

So how about we move away from frills and get to the root of the problem instead?

 

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