Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson for ADPD dwelt upon ADPD’s vision of education as a vehicle for social justice.  Research in education points to the fact that students from disadvantages socioeconomic backgrounds are still finding it difficult to move out of their disadvantages in spite of going through the educational system which is supposed to lift them up. This means that education is not being effective enough to make the difference.  Cacopardo insisted on the need for structures that offer help to students in an immediate and sustained way. He insisted on the need for schools to have the space to come up with solutions themselves without undue interference and rigid frameworks dictated centrally. Cacopardo also pointed out that the pandemic has shown how instrumental initiatives taken by individual schools were in creating solutions to the difficulties thrown at them by the pandemic.

The press conference was also addressed by Mario Mallia, Deputy Chairperson and Sandra Gauci deputy secretary general.  

Dwelling on the effects of the pandemic, the speakers pointed towards inequalities that became wider and more evident. At the same time however, the pandemic is opening up windows of possibilities and solutions which can provide opportunities for regeneration.

For this to be at all possible, a process of ongoing critical reflection and consultation needs to be in place. The speakers were critical of a plethora of consultation documents which were published just before the end of the scholastic year. Instead, it should be the educational communities in schools that come up with agendas and propose solutions which would be tailor-made to their specific circumstances. These proposals would then lead to an Educational Post Pandemic National Strategy which proposes new ways of doing education on a national level.  In this context, it is of concern that the Board that had to oversee the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework has not met in ages. ADPD feels that this board needs to be regenerated and its remit widened to include the effects of the pandemic on the curriculum framework, one of which would be the effects of the pandemic on the arts, which are an integral part of our children’s development.  

Mallia and Gauci also gave their thumbs up to initiatives which address the achievement gap with students who were impacted the most during the pandemic. It would however be a mistake to focus exclusively on academics without addressing psychosocial issues and the considerable effects on mental health that the pandemic is having on our children. The country needs to invest considerably more in mental wellbeing which suffered considerably during the pandemic.

They also insisted that for the coming scholastic year, parents should be obliged to send their children to school and that this is enforced across the board, so that no child is left without the right to an education.

Gauci and Mallia also spoke on the need of a post pandemic strategy to focus on early childhood education as a fundamental component of any educational provision. The need to aggressively address the issue of the dearth of trained personnel in the sector has long been felt, together with the need to have conditions of work in the sector at par with other educators. The need for relaxing a seemingly overburdened curriculum in the early years should also help to make space for educational experiences which reduce on the number of students who lag behind.

A reflection on a post pandemic reality should also target the injustice faced by children with disabilities and their families especially those who struggle financially. It is absurd that in this day and age, we still have children who have to depend on charity for them to have access to tools essential for them to communicate. It is also absurd to witness parents having to pay much more for recreational services and sports facilities because of their children’s disabilities. This places children from financially hard-up families in an automatic disadvantage. ADPD feels that our sense of justice and fairness demands a different approach. 

ADPD acknowledges the sterling work that many educators, mostly women have undertaken during these challenging times. Our country needs to take up the opportunity to make sure that educators are afforded the respect they deserve. Whilst approving of any investment in educational infrastructure, ADPD feels that the most effective investment should be in educators themselves. Educators should be trusted and respected more. More should be done to create adequate spaces for collective critical reflection as part of educators’ conditions of work.  More can also be done to make conditions of work for educators attractive so as to lure further talent to the educational field.  

***

Huwa kruċjali li dak li tgħallimna mill-kriżi tal-pandemija ma tkunx opportunità mitlufa

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD, Carmel Cacopardo, sostna li l-viżjoni ta’ ADPD tikkunsidra l-edukazzjoni bħala mezz ta’ ġustizzja soċjali.  Madanakollu, kif turi biċ-ċar ir-riċerka fl-edukazzjoni, jibqa’ ta’ tħassib il-fatt li studenti li ġejjin żvantaġġ soċjali, għadhom qed isibuha diffiċli biex joħorgu mill-iżvantaġġi soċjali tagħhom, anke wara li jgħaddu mis-sistema edukattiva. Dan ifisser li l-edukazzjoni mhux jirnexxielha biżżejjed tagħmel differenza fil-ħajja ta’ numru ta’ tfal. Cacopardo sostna fuq il-bżonn ta’ strutturi li joffru għajnuna lit-tfal b’mod sostnut u fil-pront. Saħaq fuq il-bżonn li l-iskejjel ikollhom l-ispazju li joħorgu b’soluzzjonijiet huma, mingħajr indħil żejjed u riċetti riġidi ddettati miċ-ċentru. Cacopardo sostna li l-pandemija uriet kemm l-inizjattiva tal-iskejjel individwali kienet strumentali biex instabu soluzzjonijiet kreattivi għad-diffikultajiet li ffaċċjaw.  

Fil-konferenza stampa tkellmu wkoll Mario Mallia Deputat Cerpersin ta’ ADPD u Sandra Gauci deputat segretarju ġenerali. Fuq l-effetti tal-pandemija fuq l-edukazzjoni, il-kelliema sostnew li l-pandemija fetħet ġerħiet ikbar fl-inugwaljanzi bejn it-tfal. Fl-istess waqt, il-pandemija fetħet numru ta’ possibiltajiet u soluzzjonijiet u għaldaqstant, tista’ tissarraf f’opportunità ta’ riġenerazzjoni.  

Biex dan l-għan ikun jista’ jintlaħaq, għandu jitnieda proċess ta’ riflessjoni kreattiva, kritika u konsultattiva. Il-kelliema sostnew li dan m’għandux jieħu s-sura ta’ dokumenti għal konsultazzjoni bħal dawk li qed ivara l-gvern bil-gzuz fuq l-edukazzjoni malli waslet biex tispiċċa s-sena skolastika, imma għandhom ikunu l-komunitajiet edukattivi infushom li jfasslu l-aġenda huma u joħorġu b’soluzzjonijiet li jirrispondu għal kuntesti differenti u partikulari tagħhom. Dawn is-soluzzjonijiet ġenerati mill-iskejjel għandhom imbagħad iwasslu għal Strateġija Nazzjonali Edukattiva Post-Pandemija li tipproponi oriżżonti ġodda fil-qafas tal-politika edukattiva nazzjonali. F’dan il-kuntest, huwa ta’ għajb li l-bord ta’ Implimentazzjoni tal-Qafas tal-Kurrikulum li kellu jara li l-kurrikulum nazzjonali jiġi mplimentat, m’għadux jiltaqa’. ADPD tħoss li dan għandu jerġa’ jiġi attivat u l-għanijiet tiegħu imwessa sabiex jikkunisdra l-kuntest speċifiku tal-pandemija u l-effett li din kellha fuq il-qafas kurrikulari. Fost dawn l-impatti, dan il-bord għandu jeżamina kif il-qasam essenzjali tal-arti u l-kreattività ġie milqut fl-edukazzjoni tat-tfal tagħna permezz tal-pandemija.

Il-kelliema esprimew il-qbil tagħhom għal inizjattivi li jindirizzaw l-effetti fuq il-kisbiet edukattivi fuq it-tfal li l-iktar ntlaqtu ħażin fil-pandemija. Fl-istess waqt, sostnew li jkun żball jekk dawn il-programmi jiffukaw biss fuq oqsma akkademiċi mingħajr ma jiffukaw fuq l-effetti psikosoċjali u l-effetti fuq is-saħħa mentali li din il-pandemija kellha fuq ħafna tfal u żgħażagh. Tennew il-bżonn li pajjiżna jinvesti iktar fis-saħħa mentali tat-tfal tagħna li fil-pandemija ħadet daqqa ta’ ħarta.  

Sostnew ukoll li għas-sena skolastika li jmiss, l-obbligu li l-ġenituri jibgħatu lit-tfal tagħhom l-iskola għandu jerġa’ jibda jiġi nfurzat biex l-ebda tifla jew tifel ma jigu mċaħħda mid-dritt li jitgħallmu.  

Il-kelliema saħqu wkoll li l-istrateġija post pandemija għandha tiffoka fuq l-edukazzjoni bikrija li hija l-pedament ta’ kull proċess edukattiv. Fost l-oħrajn irid jiġi ndirizzat in-nuqqas ta’ nies imħarrġa fis-settur, kif ukoll il-bżonn li l-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol ta’ dawn il-ħaddiema jkunu daqs dawk ta’ edukaturi oħra. L-iffullar tal-kurrikulum speċjalment fis-snin bikrin għandu jitnaqqas biex jingħata iktar nifs għall-esperjenzi edukattivi formattivi li jnaqqsu mill-possibbiltà ta’ tfal li jaqgħu lura.  

Ir-riflessjoni post pandemija għandha wkoll tikkunsidra li tindirizza b’iktar saħħa l-inġustizzji ma tfal b’diżabilità u l-familji tagħhom speċjalment dawk il-familji bi dħul baxx. Huwa tal-mistħija li għad għandna tfal jiddependu mill-karità sabiex ikollhom aċċess għal għodda u għajnuniet biex jikkomunikaw.  Huwa ta’ għajb ukoll li l-ġenituri ta’ ħafna tfal b’diżabilità ikollhom iħallsu prezz ħafna iktar ogħli minn familji oħra għal servizzi rikreattivi u sportivi, minħabba d-diżabilità tat-tfal tagħhom. Dan ifisser li tfal f’familji bi dħul baxx jiġu żvantaġġjati qatiegħ. ADPD tħoss li s-sens ta’ ġustizzja jitlob mod ieħor.   

ADPD tirrikonoxxi x-xogħol siewi li twettaq minn tant edukaturi, fil-maġġoranza tagħhom nisa, fi żmien daqshekk ta’ sfida. Pajjiżna għandu jieħu l-okkażżjoni sabiex il-professjoni tal-edukaturi tiġi msaħħa u rispettata iżjed. Filwaqt li ADPD tapprova investiment fuq l-infrastruttura edukattiva, tħoss li l-ikbar investiment għandu jsir fuq l-edukaturi.  Fost oħrajn l-edukaturi għandhom igawdu iktar fiduċja u rispett. Il-kelliema tennew li għandhom jiġu mistħarrġa spazji iktar għal diskussjoni u riflessjoni bħala parti mill-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol tal-edukaturi. Dan apparti sforzi ikbar li jtejbu il-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol tal-edukaturi sabiex l-aħjar elementi jigu mħajra iservu fil-qasam edukatttiv.