The conference held by the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations to kick-start a national discussion on the introduction of after-school activities saw practically unanimous agreement by unions, employers and pressure groups representatives and mothers about the matter. The stress parents, especially mothers, face to cope with career and family priorities is increasing as a result of changing economic realities and social customs.

For some women, and men, too, the problem is even greater as they are expected to also cope with caring for elderly parents who can no longer look after themselves.

The “sandwich generation” is made up of men and women who have the dual social responsibility of raising young children and caring for elderly parents while trying to hold on to a full-time job. The conference heard trade unionists and employers agree that after-school facilities are a means to improving productivity as parents can concentrate more on their work while their children are being cared for by schools. The Malta Union of Teachers, whose members will be most affected by any change in school hours, also gave a cautious welcome to the idea of schools being open for children’s activities for longer hours.

Most parents will, no doubt, welcome the opportunity to send their children to a well-organised school that guarantees a safe and stimulating environment where their children can be helped with their schoolwork or encouraged to develop new creative and recreational interests.

So, if there are such major benefits associated with the idea of introducing more after-school facilities, what is keeping this idea from being taken up by the government? The economic benefits of freeing more time for employed men and women to concentrate fully on their work cannot be disputed. There is need for more people to join the workforce if the country is to converge with the standard of living indicators achieved by the more affluent EU states because, today, Malta is still at the bottom of the league.

The social aspect linked to the introduction of after-school activities may be more difficult to prove. Up to some years ago, the need for such facilities was not felt acutely, at least by the majority of parents who could rely on the support of their extended families. Grandparents often acted as babysitters, private tutors and activities organisers for their grandchildren. But the extended family concept is slowly changing as more grandparents either decide to engage in other activities or are too old to cope with lively young children.

So, the alternative seems to be the introduction of organised child-minding facilities presumably provided by the state and also by private schools. There is, of course, an economic cost associated with introducing such facilities. But more important there is a social cost.

Some sociologists argue that the contact between parents and their children is becoming less frequent and this is depriving some children from the positive influence of simply observing and being with their parents. Parents try to control any remorse they may feel about this reality by aiming to make up for the shorter contact time with their children by ensuring they spend “quality time” with them.

Easing the stress working parents go through when raising a family can partly be achieved by providing after-school facilities. However, it also calls for a new mindset for employers who need to introduce more flexible and innovative work practices for parents of young children.