However, AD feels that following the work of the past few years, a general evaluation of the system is needed. Regarding the operation of the colleges, Mr Mallia said that it is evident that the colleges created a new form of bureaucracy which led to a greater separation between teachers in schools and at the centre. AD is also concerned about the fact that many of the schools being built are too big to be able to give individual attention to children. AD feels that school size makes a difference in the level of care and security given to children which is important for teaching to be effective.

 

Regarding the National Curriculum which is being proposed, AD would like to comment at a further stage. At the same time it agrees with the broad process of consultation which is being carried out. However, AD feels that, in contrast, the new curricula in the first year of secondary schooling were thrust upon teachers without adequate consultation. AD feels that it was not wise for a curriculum which was approved last July to be given to teachers in state schools to be implemented at the beginning of this same academic year. AD feels that teachers deserve to be listened to much more so that both their professionalism and the spirit of the reforms are respected.

 

AD also expressed its concern about the fact that the benchmarking exercise at the end of Year 6 is being used to channel children into different tracks from a young age. It feels that in this way, the selection mentality with all its consequences that we criticized so much in the old system, will remain strong.

 

The spokesperson also mentioned the need for the philosophy behind the Secondary School Certificate to be revised. This is now linked with the National Qualifications Framework. AD feels that giving importance to informal and non-formal education is positive. At the same time it feels that the obsession with measuring everything in terms of marks is putting a number of children at a disadvantage. For example, educational activities are not being considered unless they are certified by whoever gives the service. Mr Mallia asked what will happen to those students who participate in activities organized by persons who are not registered with the Directorate. It is not fair that because of such a measure, students will suffer. AD feels that these difficulties and disadvantages would be overcome should this certificate take the form of an experience portfolio rather than an exercise in numerical calculations.

 

On the issue of research in schools, AD feels that while it is positive that it has increased, it is still highly centralized and dictated by international surveys. More importantly, what emerges from these studies is not reaching individual schools so that they will be able to take action to improve the services they offer. This means that decisions will become even more centralized. AD feels the need for a research project to be launched to enable us to understand why boys are not doing as well as girls at school. This should be discussed within a wider context which recognises the need for Malta to have a national gender policy to address gender inequalities in education as well as of how we can educate our children better so that gender inequalities in society will decline. Linked with this aspect of justice, the AD spokesperson also reiterated the need for visible efforts for children of ethnic minorities to be better catered for. This entails more information, coordination and training so that education will be a true means of inclusion for these children.

 

Finally, in reaction to what has been happening during the past months regarding children who were being taken to school early and left in front of the closed school gate, Mr Mallia urged for a committee to be set up to evaluate the situation on a national level and to present recommendations so that every sector, including the transport sector, will honour its responsibilities. The steps that were taken improved the situation in the particular school linked to the case but they did nothing to ease the problem of children who are arriving at school very early with all the implied risks.
The health and safety of our children should take precedence over all other considerations.

***

AD tipprezenta l-proposti fuq l-edukazzjoni

F’diskussjoni fuq l-edukazzjoni, Mario Mallia Kelliem għall-Edukazzjoni għall-Alternattiva Demokratika qal li l-AD kienet minn tal-ewwel li appoġġjat ir-riforma fl-edukazzjoni imnedija erba’ snin ilu.  Dan għamlitu għax dejjem emmnet fil-bżonn li fiċ-ċentru tal-edukazzjoni għandu jkun hemm it-tfal u l-bżonnijiet tagħhom iktar minn eżami li jifred u jarmi it-tfal.  L-AD qablet ukoll mas-sistema tal-kulleġġi li ġabet flimkien skejjel li qabel kienu  jaħdmu f’iżolament, filwaqt li tat l-opportunita` ta’ kontinwita` edukattiva mill-primarja sas-sekondarja. 

Madanakollu, tħoss li wara numru ta’ snin ta’ ħidma, hemm bżonn ta’evalwazzjoni ġenerai tas-sistema.  Fuq it-tħaddim tal-kulleġġi, is-Sur Mallia qal li huwa evidenti li l-kulleġġi ħolqu burokrazija ġdida li qed twassal biex id-distakk bejn l-għalliema fl-iskejjel u ċ-ċentru tiżdied.  L-AD tinsab imħassba ukoll fuq il-fatt li ħafna mill-iskejjel li qed jinbnew huma kbar wisq biex ikunu jistgħu jagħtu attenzjoni individwali lit-tfal.  L-AD tħoss li id-daqs tal-iskejjel jagħmlu differenza fil-livell ta’ harsien tat-tfal kif ukoll fuq is-sens ta’ sigurta` tagħhom li tant huwa important biex it-tagħlim ikun jista’ jsir kif jixraq.

Fuq il-Kurrikulu Nazzjonali li qed jiġi propost, l-AD tixtieq li tirriżerva li tikkummenta fi stadju ieħor.  Fl-istess ħin, taqbel mal-proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni wiesgħa li ġie mniedi.  Madanakollu, AD tħoss li b’kuntrast għal dan, il-kurrikula ġodda fl-ewwel sena tas-sekondarja ġew imbella’ lill-għalliema mingħajr konsultazzjoni xierqa .  L-AD tħoss li ma kienx għaqli li kurrikulu li tlesta f’Lulju li għadda jingħata bl-għaġġla lill-għalliema fl-iskejjel statali biex jattwawh fil-bidu ta’ din is-sena skolastika stess.  L-AD tħoss li l-għalliema jixirqilhom ikunu mismugħa ħafna iktar biex is-sens ta’ professjonalita` tagħhom u l-ispirtu tar-riforma jiġu rispettati.

L-Alternattiva Demokratika esprimiet ukoll it-tħassib tagħha għal fatt li l-eżerċizzju tal-benchmarking fl-aħħar tal-Year 6 qed jintuża biex jagħżel lit-tfal f’tracks differenti minn eta` zgħira.  Tħoss li b’dan il-mod, il-mentalita` ta’ selezzjoni tat-tfal bil-konsegwenzi kollha tagħha li tant ikkritikajna fis-sistema antika, tibqa’ b’saħħitha. 

Il-kelliem semma ukoll il-bżonn li jiġi rivedut il-ħsieb wara is-Secondary School Certificate li issa intrabat mal-Qafas Nazzjonali għall-Kwalifiki.  L-AD tħoss li kien pożittiv li tingħata importanza wkoll lill-edukazzjoni informali u non-formali.   Fl-istess waqt tħoss li l-fissazzjoni li kollox jiġi mkejjel u mogħti l-marki,  qed jiżvantaġġja numru sostanzjali ta’ tfal. Fost oħrajn, attivitajiet edukattivi mhux qed jiġu kkunsidrati jekk ma jiġux iċċertifikati minn min joffri servizz.  Is-Sur Mallia staqsa x’ser jiġri minn dawk l-istudenti li jattendu attivitajiet organizzati minn persuni li qed jirrifjutaw li jirreġistraw mad-Direttorat.  Mhuwiex ġust li minħabba miżura bħal din ibatu l-istudenti.  L-AD tħoss li dawn id-diffikultajiet u żvantaġġi jitneħħew jekk kemm-il darba dan iċ-ċertifikat jieħu l-forma ta’ portfolio ta’ esperjenzi iktar milli eżerċizzju ta’ kontijiet numeriċi. 

Fuq ir-riċerka fl-iskejjel l-AD tħoss li filwaqt li tajjeb li żdiedet,din għadha wisq iċċentralizzata u ddettata minn surveys internazzjonali.  Iktar minn hekk,  dak li qed joħroġ minn din ir-riċerka  mhux qed jasal għand l-iskejjel invidwali biex ikunu jistgħu jieħdu passi ħalli jtejbu is-servizzi li joffru.  Dan ifisser deċiżjonijiet iktar ċentralizzati.  AD tħoss il-bżonn li titnieda riċerka biex nifhmu iktar ir-raġunijiet għala is-subien qed imorru agħar mill-bniet fl-iskola.  Dan għandu jiġi diskuss fl-isfont tal-bżonn li fl-edukazzjoni maltija ikollna Gender Policy nazzjonali li tindirizza l-inugwaljanzi bejn is-sessi fl-edukazzjoni kif ukoll fuq kif it-tfal tagħna nistgħu nedukawhom aħjar biex l-inugwaljanzi bejn is-sessi fis-soċjeta` jonqsu.  Ma dan l-aspett ta’ ġustizzja,  il-kelliem tal-AD tenna l-bżonn ukoll ta’ sforz viżibbli biex tfal ta’ minoritajiet etniċi differenti jiġu milħuqa aħjar.  Dan jimplika il-bżonn ta’ informazzjoni, koordinazzjoni u taħriġ biex l-edukazzjoni tkun mezz veru ta’ inklużjoni għal dawn it-tfal. 

Fl-aħħar nett, b’reazzjoni għal dak li ġara fl-aħħar xhur fil-każ ta’ tfal li kienu qed jittieħdu l-iskola kmieni u jiġu mitluqa quddiem il-kanċelli magħluqin, il-kelliem ħeġġeġ għat-twaqqif ta’ kumitat li jevalwa is-sitwazzjoni b’mod nazzjonali u jressaq rakkomandazzjonijiet li bihom kull settur, inkluż dak tat-trasport, jerfa’ ir-responsabbiltajiet tiegħu.  Il-passi li ttieħdu taffew mis-sitwazzjoni fl-iskola partikolari li fiha ġraw imma m’għamlu xejn biex taffew il-problema ta’ tfal li qed jaslu kmieni ħafna fl-iskejjel tagħhom bir-riskji kollha li dan iġib miegħu. 

Is-saħħa u s-sigurta` tat-tfal tagħna għandha tiġi qabel kull konsiderazzjoni oħra.