I have been following the debate about illiterate children and the high percentage of students who are dropping out of school without the necessary reading and writing skills.

If a school builds upon a sport ethos, the academic side will flourish

Different reports quoted by different educational exponents point to a worrying number of children who are being failed by the very same structures that should be providing them with a solid base upon which to build their future and, as such, the country’s future.

Ever so often, we hear of studies being undertaken to proffer advice to the education authorities, culminating in the structuring of the national minimum curriculum, various syllabi, the whole education spectrum. These are all laudable initiatives.

There are also, one should add, so many dissertations gathering dust on the University shelves that are a fountain of untapped information. So many University students carry out very thorough research into the field of education, which work, unfortunately, is not often built upon.

In speaking of illiteracy, it would be wrong to reflect only on the children’s plight. In my opinion, not enough attention is being given to the role of the teacher. When it comes to learning the basics, it is the skill of the teacher that should bring out the best of the children.

The curriculum should serve as a guideline, not a restriction. The first years in school are crucial in the development of skills, attitude, behaviour and commitment among students. And this is not just in the case of academic subjects but, more so, in the development of the whole student, especially in the physical education sphere.

The role of the teacher is to pass on knowledge to the students, help them grow and experience things, care for them and protect them, encourage them while building their confidence and personality and, most essentially, shape their skills.

We must have teachers who know and love their subject, who are able to transmit both knowledge and love to their students, are able and willing to win over their students and who are forever looking at ways of perfecting their skills of teaching.

We must not stop at what is being taught (curriculum, syllabus etc.) but go further into how this is being taught and to what extent this teaching is bearing fruit.

The Minister of Education has stated that hours dedicated to reading are fewer than those elsewhere. One hopes that the forthcoming national literacy strategy will address this issue.

However, one augurs that this will not be at the expense of physical education and sport in schools. Children need physical activity. If this is not properly organised, it will express itself in the form of aggressive behaviour during lessons.

Children just love to play and if a school builds upon a sport ethos, plus further other extracurricular activities, the academic side will flourish. Unfortunately, it has come to my notice that a principal in a particular State college has been advising schools within that college to curtail most activities while focusing solely on the academic. If this is true, then we have it all wrong.

Sport does not mean just running around like mad. Literacy here also plays a very important part. There are so many skills to be learnt in sport and it takes time and dedication for such skills to be mastered.

It is so encouraging to see so many young people engaged in some form of sport through various club nurseries. And, yet, are we guaranteeing quality teaching even here?

Do we have teacher/coaches preparation? Are all activities being consistently monitored?

Spending money on schemes and facilities is a must but at the core of it all lies the fact that quality teaching has to be guaranteed at all levels, especially at the most junior.

Swimming is one of the best examples of sport where the teaching of the basic skills is tantamount to survival. From the first time a child ventures into the water to the swimmer achieving competitive results, the process of teaching and learning is laborious, meticulous and time consuming. And, yet, the most successful swimmers (locally) have also been academic achievers.

Swimming has been gaining ground as a sport, although I wish we had more monitoring of the various swimming schools that have sprouted and which flourish further during the summer months.

In conclusion, I wish to state that our vision should be to promote the right teachers/coaches, encourage and acknowledge their commitment and remove the bureaucratic paperwork that is unnecessarily burdening them.

Thus, the focus should be on an effective and productive teaching and learning process. Writing and reading the first word is like swimming the first stroke: once learnt correctly and lovingly it will stay with the student forever, serving as encouragement to venture further afield.

Alfred Cachia is a retired headmaster and visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.