Il-każ tal-istudent midrub gravi minn student ieħor aktar kmieni dil-ġimgħa, ixxokkja lil ħafna nies. L-edukaturi u kull min għandu kuntatt dirett mat-tfal iżda jafu li l-bżonnijet vera u bażiċi mhux talli mhux moqdija biżżejjed, iżda għal diversi raġunijiet dejjem qed jiżdiedu. Il-bżonn ta’ djalogu dejjiem u sinċier isir iktar u iktar urġenti biex naħsbu aħjar għal soluzzjonjiet iktar fit-tul, mhux biss fuq livell edukattiv imma wkoll fuq livell soċjali u komunitarju. Huwa għalhekk li ċirkolarijiet li joħonqu l-vuċi tal-edukatur żgur jibqgħu kontradizzjoni.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet: “Mhux se noqgħodu nagħmlu stqarrijiet populisti li ma jwasslu għal imkien. Nafu li għandna wisq tfal imweġġgħin u mifxula frott l-esklużjoni, fil-forom differenti tagħha.  Il-bżonn ta’ djalogu miftuħ u ġenwin ilu li wasal żmienu. Dak li ġara ma nistgħux inħarsu lejh b’lenti limitata ta’ dixxiplina, qishom l-iskejjel jistgħu jsolvu l-problemi kollha tas-soċjetà, problemi li mhux ġodda għal-lum.  Jitlob minna bħala pajjiż li nħarsu fil-mera u naraw kif l-istrutturi soċjali u ekonomiċi jafu li qed iwasslu lil ħafna persuni fit-tarf.  Is-suġġerimenti ta’ xi wħud li suppost jafu aħjar li jridu jittrasformaw l-iskejjel f’ħabsijiet bil-metal detectors u suldati rtirati, ma jindirizzax il-problema.  Anzi, jagħti sens ta’ sigurtà falza u perikoluża.  Inibbet sens ta’ assedju perpetwu u biża’ fit-tfal, li qajla tista’ tagħmel tajjeb għas-saħħa mentali tagħhom.”

“B’xorti ħażina, l-Gvern jidher li qed imil lejn din is-soluzzjoni billi nieda bord magħmul minn persuni mill-qasam tal-kriminoloġija, u saħansitra mill-qasam tal-ħabs. Anke jekk il-persuni magħżula huma serji u esperti fil-qasam partikolari tagħhom, din l-għażla tagħti x’jifhem li l-gvern qed jiffavorixxi mudell populista ta’ kontroll flok mudell li jħares lejn modi iktar effettivi kif tiddakkar is-sedqa, il-kura, l-indukrar u l-inklużjoni soċjali, kemm fl-iskejjel u kemm lilhinn minnhom. Dan ma jawgura xejn tajjeb għal pjan fit-tul li jħares lejn l-għerq veru tal-problema flok jikkontrolla s-sintomi. Hu meħtieg li nindirizzaw il-kawża ta’ dan kollu.”

Nisħqu fuq il-bżonn li l-iskejjel jkunu post fejn studenti ma jħossuhomx numru. Nirrikonoxxu li filwaqt li hemm elf intenzjoni tajba u ħafna sforzi produttivi, il-kobor tal-iskejjel xejn mhu qed jgħin biex l-istudenti jħossuhom parti minn komunità. Hemm bzonn skejjel izgħar, moqdija  b’riżorsi psiko-soċjali adekwati u li jaħdmu iktar mill-qrib ma’ servizzi oħra barra mill-iskola.  Għal xi tfal, l-iskola tista’ tirrapreżenta wieħed mill-ftit sorsi ta’ kenn, għożża u sens ta’ appartenenza.  

L-iskejjel għandhom bżonn l-ispazju u l-flessibilità neċessarja biex ikunu jistgħu jaqdu dan ir-rwol. Dan l-inċident għandu jkun okkażjoni tajba biex pajjiżna, b’mod kollettiv iħares fil-mera u jagħmel eżami tal-kuxjenza fuq il-prijoritajiet, u fuq il-kunċetti ta’ benesseri, ġustizzja, u l-inklużjoni ta’ kulħadd, Malti u mhuwiex.

ADPD-The Green Party tesprimi s-solidarjetà u l-appoġġ tagħha mal-komunità tal-iskola f’dan il-mument ta’ diffikultà.

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Students need to be treated as individuals with needs, not as a number

The incident of the seriously injured student earlier this week has shocked many people.  Educators as well as those who work with children are well aware of the fact that children’s basic and real needs are not being met, and yet such needs are on the increase.  The need for timely and sincere discussion for long-term solutions is now more urgent than ever, not only concerning educational issues but also social and community issues.  This is why circulars restricting educators from having their voice heard on such issues is so contradictory.

The ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said: “We are not going to make populist statements that go nowhere.  We know that we have many children who feel hurt because of exclusion in many different forms.  The need for genuine and open dialogue is long overdue.  What happened can neither be viewed with a limited perspective focused only on discipline, nor can schools be viewed as places that can solve all of society’s problems, problems which have festered for a long time and are certainly not new.  This situation demands that we look in the mirror and examine how current social and economic structures are pushing people into these unfortunate situations.  The suggestions posited by those who seem to know better, transforming our schools into prisons using metal detectors and retired soldiers, do not address the root cause.  It would, however, give a dangerously false sense of security.  It would contribute to instilling fear in our children and a sense of continuous attack, which would do very little for their mental health.

Unfortunately, the government appears to have created a solution by creating a board consisting of individuals with backgrounds in criminology, as well as experience in working in the prison sector.  Even if the individuals involved are serious and experts in their field, this step gives us the impression that it favours a populist model of control rather than work on how to foster greater protection, care, support, and social inclusion in schools and beyond.  This does not augur well for a long-term plan that seeks to establish the cause of the problem; rather, it is a means to control symptoms.  What is needed is that we address the root cause of all these problems”.

We fully support the need for schools to be a space where students do not feel that they are just a number.  We recognise that whilst there are a thousand good intentions and many fruitful initiatives, the sheer size of our schools are not helping our students to feel part of a larger community.  There is the need for smaller schools, well-equipped with adequate psychosocial resources and that are able to work closely with third-party service providers.  For some children, school is one of the few places where they can experience shelter, attention and a sense of belonging. Schools need room for flexibility to fulfil this role.  This incident should be an opportunity for our country to collectively look in the mirror and examine our conscience as to what are our priorities, and if they are based on wellness, justice, and inclusion for everyone, whether they are Maltese or not. 

ADPD-The Green Party would like to express its solidarity and support for the school community in these difficult times.