The Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations has welcomed the support expressed by the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry to the idea of extending school hours.

“These (after school) services would give parents the much-needed opportunity to continue in their employment while enjoying time with their children when they meet after work,” the confederation said.

It pointed out that women’s participation in the labour market in Malta was currently the worst in the Euopean Union, stading at 38 per cent.

After-school services should provide extra-curricular activities such as sports, dancing, art and craft, the confederation said. They could also provide help with homework and doctrine lessons could be incorporated in the activities.

“Such arrangements would relieve mothers from having to run round the island to take their children to such classes, reducing stress, traffic on the roads, pollution, misuse of fuel and misuse of time and money,” MCWO said.

The extension of school hours was proposed by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech last year prior to the 2011 Budget.

The confederation believes much still needs to be done to support dual-earner families as well as single-parent families, issues it says are not being given sufficient attention.

“It is a known fact that, due to the persistent lack of universal childcare and after-school services, many mothers do not have the choice and have to forfeit work.

“In countries where the government has invested heavily in supporting structures for children, women continue to work and the fertility rate in these countries are actually much higher than in Malta,” the MCWO said.