I share Minister Evarist Bartolo’s great concern that, in such a small population as ours, we should have as many as 1,085 people aged 17 who are not working, studying or in some formal training structure.

These are human resources going to waste… or perhaps into early criminality. Malta simply cannot afford this.

May I humbly submit a solution?

Oblige these youths, about whom, of course, all the data is readily available, to don a uniform in some special, full or part-time, AFM section.There they will, whether they want to or not, learn a lot of valuable things that will benefit both themselves and their country, such as respect for elders and others, working in a team, obedience, punctuality, physical fitness and hygiene, no idling about ever. They may possibly even learn the beginnings of a trade.

And, please, let nobody retort that this would mean returning to l-lieva (conscription).

These youths owe it to the nation for all that it would have spent on their education from Year 3 to Year 17 and, in such a context, it must be clearly put across to them and their parents that:

(a) they will be only repaying the nation for part of what it cost it to educate them;

(b) they may be earning some pocket money in the process, and

(c) that idling or loafing about, simply doing nothing, is, in this country, not tolerated.