“Fid-dawl tat-tilwima industrijali li żviluppat fl-aħħar jiem, AD tħoss li l-gvern għaġġel wisq meta ippreżenta l-Abbozzi tal-liġijiet dwar l-edukazzjoni fil-Parlament bit-tibdil propost. Din hija ħasra meta tikkunsidra li l-abbozzi kienu suġġetti għal proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni xhur ilu. Kien ikun ħafna iktar għaqli kieku l-Gvern mexa pass pass mal-imsieħba kollha biex joħroġ l-aħjar riżultat mill-proċess kollu.” Dan qalu Mario Mallia, kelliem għall-edukazzjoni u Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika.
Mario Mallia qal li filwaqt li huwa obbligu morali li l-professjonisti kollha jibqgħu jaġġornaw ruħhom, fl-istess waqt mhux ġust li l-kriterji għall-warrant tal-gradi tal-għalliema jitħallew vagi tant li joħolqu sens ta’ inċertezza, suspetti u nuqqas ta’ fiduċja. “Dan ma jagħmilx ġid kemm għall-edukaturi eżistenti u wisq inqas għal min inkun qed jitħajjar jersaq lejn il-professjoni. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar ma jagħmilx ġid lit-tfal li tant edukaturi jimpenjaw ruħhom li jaqdu”, tenna s-Sur Mallia.
Dan apparti aspetti oħrajn tal-Atti, fosthom il-provvediment tal-home schooling kif propost, li potenzjalment jesponi lil numru ta’ tfal għal nuqqasijiet serji fl-edukazzjoni li għandhom dritt għaliha.
AD taqbel mad-deċiżjoni tal-Gvern li jirtira l-abbozzi mill-parlament biex jissuktaw id-diskussjonijiet. Mario Mallia awspika rieda tajba u sens komun bejn il-partijiet kollha biex madwar mejda tiġi rfinata l-liġi li tħares tabilħaqq lit-tfal u tagħmel kuraġġ u trawwem fiduċja fl-edukaturi li huma l-ħolqa kruċjali għas-suċċess edukattiv ta’ wliedna.
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AD appeals for common sense to prevail
“In the light of the current industrial dispute between the MUT and the government, AD feels that the government was too hasty in presenting the education bills for discussion in Parliament with the changes being proposed. This is a shame, considering that the draft act was subject to a consultation process some months back. It would have been wiser had the government engaged all partners in an effort to get wider endorsement and the best out of the process throughout”.
Mario Mallia, spokesperson for Education and Alternattiva Demokratika Deputy Chairperson added that whilst all professionals have a moral obligation to keep up to date, it is unacceptable that the criteria for granting warrants to all teaching grades remain vague to an extent that they create a feeling of uncertainty, suspicion and lack of trust. This does not bode well for educators’ morale and does little to attract more recruits to the profession. Ultimately, it undermines the same children who so many educators strive to serve.
There are other aspects of the bills, including the provision for home schooling which should raise eyebrows. The proposal as it stands, risks exposing a good number of children to serious shortcomings in their education.
AD is in agreement with the government’s decision to retract the bills from parliamentary debate to enable further discussion. Mario Mallia augured that good faith and common sense prevails so that through discussion, the bills are refined in such a way that children get what is rightfully theirs and concurrently, educators, as lynchpins of any education system, feel encouraged, trusted and catered for.
