It is heartening to note the great educational progress that has been achieved in little over three years under the guidance of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo. Perhaps his greatest achievement has been that of turning schools into sites of enjoyment for children.
For persons of my generation who were educated in the 60s, this is a dreamcome true.
Today, Maltese educational institutions are far more democratic and learning experiences are closely tied to everyday realities. Education has become much more relevant and students are treated with the dignity and respect which they deserve. Difference and diversity are today celebrated instead of being discriminated against as in my schooldays.
Equally important is that the philosophy behind Malta’s educational system has significantly changed. Today, we are recognising that nobody is ‘ignorant’ or beyond being educated.
Now this may seem obvious to many, but there is a great difference between paying lip service to this fundamental educational concept and actually implementing it in all aspects of our educational system. One may mention, for example, the educational project known as GEM 16+ where students who do poorly in their SEC examinations are provided with individualised tuition as part of an intensive revision course within classes made up of a small number of students.
Obviously, for students to enjoy their learning experiences, the environment has to be optimal. For this reason, existing educational buildings have been upgraded and new ones being built. There can be no educational progress without strengthening the educational infrastructure.
We now have an average of 2.6 new schools being built annually for a projected aggregate of 13 over the period 2013-2018. This is further complemented and supplemented by an impressive investment in educational technology which is an absolute must in the ever-changing world of today.
Naturally, the aim is also to have all educational institutions equipped with the latest in sports facilities, laboratories, libraries, pastoral care services, etc.
The success of an educational enterprise ultimately depends on the educational practitioners - the teachers. Teacher training and retraining has been given utmost priority.
The concept of inclusive education forms the basis of Malta’s educational system
An important initiative launched by the present government has been that of sabbatical leave for teachers. Moreover, training courses are planned in synchronisation with the educational philosophy underpinning the educational system.
An example is the Pestalozzi Programme, the Council of Europe’s training and capacity-building programme for education. Maltese educators find this highly beneficial as it stresses democracy, respect for human rights and dignity, and the rule of law.
The minister has always stressed one important point: the cardinal concept that education should be linked to the world of employment. Education should provide students with the skills necessary to make a success of their working life.
Do you remember the days when employers used to regularly complain that school-leavers lacked the basic skills necessary for the world of work? Thankfully, that is a thing of the past.
The successful introduction of co-education is also greatly helping in this respect as students learn to work with persons of a different sex at the workplace.
The post-secondary and tertiary levels have been consolidated and strengthened. In October 2015, MCAST registered an almost three per cent increase in student population, standing at 6,676. The Junior College had approximately 2,300 students registered as pre-tertiary students for the academic year 2015-2016.
Meanwhile, the University of Malta could boast of 11,500 students, including over 1,000 international students from 92 countries. The University is doing its utmost to balance teaching with research, the hallmark of a successful university.
The concept of inclusive education forms the basis of Malta’s educational system. Students who face specific difficulties due to disabilities are helped by expertly-trained educational personnel. Our education is now also multicultural.
Education has never been more holistic. Today, students learn about all aspects of daily life, including issues which will be of great importance when they are adults. The EkoSkola programme, for example, empowers students to be active in environmental decision-making and to be active both on a school as well as on a community level.
Hands-on learning is greatly encouraged as in the case of history lessons delivered on the site being mentioned in the lesson.
Moreover, it is no exaggeration to say that the concepts of the “learning society” and “lifelong learning” have today become part and parcel of daily life. Adults have a variety of courses open to them and some students are actually in their eighties.
I have only touched on some aspects of education in Malta but I believe we have a success story there. Yet, there are many targets that still have to be achieved. Foremost among them is the problem of discipline in certain schools.
We have to ensure that teachers are accorded the respect due and that disruption of learning through misbehaviour is reduced to a minimum. The average level of absenteeism among 16-year-olds also remains something of a headache for the Minister of Education. Still, these and others are not unsurmountable obstacles but simply challenges on the road to further success.
Desmond Zammit Marmarà is a Balzan Labour councillor and an educator by profession.