This time of the year 20 years ago, or thereabouts, I was doing my A levels. I do not recall much, except for flashbacks of piles and piles of books and handwritten notes. This was the pre-internet and pre-computer age.

I sat for French, English and History, and of course, the compulsory Systems of Knowledge. Back then we called it ‘Systems’. Today’s hippier, acronymier generation refer to it as SoK as in ‘there’s a hole in my sock’.

Despite the cooler name, the aim of the subject is still the same: that of giving students the basics of arts, politics, science and environment. The spirit behind this exam – set up in the very early 90s – was to ensure that teenagers grow up into adults who know that there is such a thing as the Sistine Chapel and that Michelangelo painted its ceiling; that democracy means respecting the fact that majority rules; that science is all about experiments and that you should not eat chicken if it’s been left out of the fridge; and that we’re a bit dodgy when it comes to taking care of our environment.

What is different now is the reading material. Whereas before we had to refer to the original texts by, say, Plato, Erasmus and Braudel. Now students have a textbook crammed with essays written by Maltese contributors who merely refer to the original texts.

I read this textbook from cover to cover while helping a teenage kin of mine in his studies. Well, I said ‘read’ but in truth I skimmed through it because it bored me stiff. It makes for ideal reading for insomniacs, as each essay lulls the brain into one soft, mushy blob and does nothing to instil in the reader the joys and the pleasures of the topics tackled. Such a pity because SoK could easily be taught so differently and in ways which would be enjoyable to both teacher and student.

Let’s take the first module for example: democracy. It is important that every citizen of a democratic country understands how the State works. And more importantly that democracy is a process and cannot really be imposed. Just because it works in the west, it does not mean that all cultures have the aptitude for it. How to make teenagers understand it?

Take the SoK students to Sweden, the country where 90% of waste is recycled, as part of their environment module

Here’s how: organise regular visits to live parliamentary sessions; get students to meet MPs and perhaps work for them as interns for a week or two; give them a stint at their local council so they can experience first hand community politics; take them to different media houses and drill in them that freedom of the press is crucial for a democracy. Round it off with a visit to the electoral commission so they can see first hand what it takes to organise an election. Assessments, for example, can be in the form of mock debates.

The second module is art, and given that Malta is replete with fine examples, educators are spoilt for choice.

SoK students can be taken on field trips in Malta and abroad: to Valletta for a Baroque experience; to Florence to relive the Renaissance; to Athens for Greek art, Rome, London, Paris. Anywhere really. The beauty of art is lost in book pictures. Art is really an experience; you don’t just see it, you live it.

Then there’s science. Invite real scientists to school – if for nothing just to show that not all scientists have Einstein hair and go round wearing a lab coat. Take them to laboratories, get them to carry out experiments relevant to their day-to-day lives – such as what happens to our body when we down alcohol in great quantities. Take them to the engineering department where researchers and tutors are constantly coming up with new technology.

Environment is the other module and if taught properly, it can nurture a green conscience which will stay with students for the rest of their lives.

Get them to meet environment lobbyists and NGOs… and hunters, so they learn how to make an informed choice. Take them to Sweden – the country where 90 per cent of waste is recycled and where they import waste to process from other countries just so their plants don’t have to close down. Organise marine clean-ups; take them to Għajn Tuffieħa to star gaze and realise the effects of light pollution in the rest of the island.

I could go on and on, because the more I think about it, the more I believe that this is the very subject which can make us proud to be… human.

It tackles the very soul of humanity – the anima of knowledge – and we’re doing our teenagers a disservice by presenting it to them flat and one-dimensional.

Or maybe it’s just that SoK should become an exam for people over 30, perhaps it is something that is only appreciated when you’re older.

I have to say that I enjoyed helping in the studies immensely – in fact, much more than I did two decades ago.

krischetcuti@gmail.com
Twitter: @KrisChetcuti

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