Emotional literacy – the ability to understand and manage one’s feelings – was the theme of a training seminar for professionals working in the caring sector held recently by the Malta Personal and Social Development Association, in collaboration with the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ.

Grace Grima, director general for Quality and Standards in Education, highlighted the priority that the National Curriculum Framework gives to emotional competencies, and emphasised the importance that teachers be emotionally literate, both for their professional development and also for the benefit of their students.

Sandro Spiteri, director of the Curriculum Management and eLearning Department, mentioned that two years ago the PSD subject had an external review that indicated that it had an important role on the educational formation of learners.

Amanda Caruana, president of the Malta PSD Association, reported that various studies underline the importance of being emotionally literate to function effectively in a globalised setting and also for self-actualisation, which is what led the MSPDA to organise this seminar for various professionals.

The association has been holding an annual seminar for the past four scholastic years. Its main focus for the coming year will be to promote PSD in post-secondary and tertiary education institutions.

Ruth Falzon, co-ordinator of PSD training at the University, gave the keynote speech, entitled Emotional Literacy and the Maltese PSD Model. She emphasised the importance of emotional literacy, particularly given the needs of the fast-evolving present human civilisation.

Participants took part in several workshops which addressed emotional literacy from different perspectives. The workshops dealt with drama, dance, arts, intellectual impairment, dyslexia, autism, couple cards and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in relation to emotional literacy.

http://mpsda.org.mt