Ir-rispett lejn l-edukaturi ma jintweriex biss fis-salarju. Jiġi rifless ukoll mill-fiduċja. Hija kontradizzjoni li tiġi ċċelebrata l-indipendenza u fl-istess waqt, hemm min jippretendi li l-edukaturi iridu japplikaw għal permess biex jitkellmu.
ADPD-The Green Party dalgħodu, tat konferenza stampa fil-bidu ta’ sena skolastika ġdida u ġiet indirizzata minn Sandra Gauci, Chairperson u Mario Mallia, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali. Gauci u Mallia tennew li l-bidu ta’ sena skolastika jġib mieghu ħafna tamiet li permezz tagħhom it-tfal ikunu moqdija kif jixirqilhom. Biex dan ikun possibbli, l-edukaturi iridu jħossuhom rispettati f’xogħolhom. Mingħajr din il-fiducja, tonqos il-motivazzjoni. Matul is-sena skolastika l-oħra, tjiebu s-salarji tal-edukaturi li indirizzaw ir-rispett li għandhom igawdu fis-soċjeta` frott il-ħidma kruċjali li jwettqu. Madanakollu, ir-rispett ma jiġix biss miż-żieda fil-paga. Tiġi wkoll minn edukaturi li jħossuhom fdati. Tiġi minn edukaturi li jħossu li għandhom l-ispazju kollu biex jesprimu ruħhom liberament mingħajr ma jkollhom ghalfejn isaqsu permess biex jagħmlu dan.
F’dan il-kuntest, il-pożizzjoni li qed jieħu l-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni li jinsisti fuq il-bżonn tal-permess biex l-edukaturi jesprimu ruħhom fil-pubbliku huwa inaċċettabbli. Dan isir iktar u iktar inaċċettabbli wara ruling tal-Ombudsman li b’mod ċar u tond ikkundanna din l-insistenza tal-ministeru li jħalli fis-seħħ ċirkolari-sarima li kienet tfasslet fi żmien meta Malta kienet għadha kolonja. Il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party fakkru li fir-ruling tiegħu, l-Ombudsman insista li meta tikkunsidra li l-iktar aspett li huwa nieqes mis-sistema edukattiva tagħna huwa l-ħsieb kritiku, ma titwemminx kif xi ħadd fl-establishment edukattiv, jeżiġi li l-kummenti tal-edukaturi jridu jirriflettu l-policies, linji gwida u l-objettivi tal-ministeru responsabbli mill-edukazzjoni.
Il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party irreferew għad-dokument Green Over Greed – A Green Vision 2050 li prepara l-partit, u li ġie ppreżentat lill-gvern il-ġimgħa l-oħra. Fid-dokument, ADPD-The Green Party ssemmi tliet prinċipji li fuqhom iserraħ dak li għal partit huwa pilastru importanti f’Viżjoni Ħadra għall-edukazzjoni ċioe il-bżonn ta’ vuċi ħielsa u kritika.
ADPD – The Green Party tinsisti li jekk tabilħaqq nemmnu fuq il-bżonn li t-tfal u żgħazagħ tagħna nindukrawlhom is-sens ta’ ħsieb kritiku, ma jistax ikollok edukaturi li dan il-ħsieb kritiku jistgħu jużawh biss bil-permess. ADPD – The Green Party ddeskriviet l-insistenza li ċ-ċirkolari ma tiġix rtirata, anke wara d-deċiżjoni tal-Ombudsman, bħala tattika denja ta’ gvern kolonjali li jitwerwer mill-kritika, mhux minn gvern ta’ pajjiż demokratiku li suppost jinkoraġġixxi l-ħsieb kritiku. ADPD – The Green Party tinsisti li jekk il-ministeru jemmen tabilħaqq li l-edukaturi huma professjonisti, din is-sarima ma’ ħalqhom għandha titneħħa darba ghal dejjem. Hija kontradizzjoni li pajjiżna jiċċelebra l-indipendenza fuq il-karta, u fl-istess waqt ixekkel l-indipendenza tal-ħsieb u tal-vuċi tal-edukaturi tiegħu.
Il-kelliema tal-ADPD-The Green Party għamlu emfasi wkoll fuq l-akkoljenza, u nsistew li din għandha tgħodd għat-tfal kollha indipendentement miċ-ċirkostanzi taghhom. Il-kelliema kienu qed jirreferu għal deċizjoni tal-qorti li obbligat lill-ministeru tal-edukazzjoni biex joffri edukazzjoni lil żewgt itfal immigranti li dan id-dritt ġie miċħud lilhom mill-istess ministeru minħabba teknikalitajiet legali.
ADPD-The Green Party issaqsi kif Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni jista’ qatt iċaħħad id-dritt sagrosant tat-tfal, huma minn huma, għall-edukazzjoni. ADPD-The Green Party ittenni li t-tfal m’għandhom qatt ibatu frott kumplessitajiet legali li jħalluhom bla edukazzjoni. Jekk xejn, il-ministeru tal-edukazzjoni għandu jkun minn ta’ l-ewwel li joffri t-tarka għad-drittijiet inaljenabbli ta’ dawn it-tfal, flok ma jservi ta’ strument tal-esklużjoni taghhom.
Fl-aħħar nett, il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party irringrazzjaw lil tant uffiċjali, edukaturi u ħaddiema li jaħdmu fil-qasam edukattiv ghax-xogħol tagħhom b’risq it-tfal, filwaqt li awguraw lill-istudenti u l-edukaturi kollha sena skolastika fejjieda.
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A Green Vision for Education
Respect towards educators is not shown only in the salaries that they earn. It also is reflected in the trust they are shown. It is a contradiction indeed to celebrate independence and at the same time expect educators to apply for permission to speak their mind.
This morning, ADPD – The Green Party had a press conference just before the beginning of the new scholastic year and was addressed by ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci and Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia. Gauci and Mallia said that the beginning of the scholastic year brings with it high hopes that students will be given the education they deserve. To do this, educators must feel that their profession is respected. Without trust, motivation decreases. During the last scholastic year, educator salaries improved, reflecting the respect that they should have for their work. However, respect is not only a financial issue. Respect means that they are also trusted. It comes from educators who believe that they are given the space to freely express themselves without the need to ask for permission to do so.
In this contest, having the ministry of education pushing for educators to ask for permission to freely express themselves is unacceptable. This is particularly unacceptable after the ruling by the Ombudsman, which clearly condemns the ministry’s insistence on muzzling freedom of expression, which is reminiscent of the times when Malta was still a colony. The speakers for ADPD – The Green Party recall that in his ruling, the Ombudsman insisted that when the most crucial issue missing in our educational system is critical thinking, it is shocking to see that that individuals in the educational establishment are insisting that comments by educators must follow the policies, guidelines and objectives of the ministry responsible for education.
The ADPD – The Green Party speakers referred to the document prepared by the party Green Over Greed – A Green Vision 2050, which was presented last week. In this document, ADPD – The Green Party emphasises three principles, foundational to education, in connection with freedom of expression and critical thinking.
The ADPD – The Green Party insists that if we truly believe in the need for our children and young people to be brought up as critical thinkers, you cannot have educators who can only share their own critical thinking after being granted permission to do so. ADPD – The Green Party describes the decision not to withdraw the circular despite the Ombudsman’s decision akin to a colonial government afraid of criticism, and certainly not the mindset of a government of a democratic country that should encourage critical thinking. ADPD – The Green Party insists that if the ministry truly believes that its educators are professionals, this muzzling should be discontinued once and for all. It is a contradiction to have a country celebrate its freedom on paper yet at the same time restrict the independent thinking and the voices of its educators.
ADPD – The Green Party speakers also emphasised the need to welcome all students, and this should extend to all children independently of their own personal circumstances. This was with reference to the recent court decision which obliged the Ministry for Education to offer an education to two young immigrant children who were denied the right to education by the same ministry due to legal technicalities.
ADPD – The Green Party asked how the Minister for Education could deny children the fundamental right to an education, whoever they may be. ADPD – The Green Party repeated that children should never suffer the consequences of legal technicalities that could leave them without an education. If anything, the ministry for education should have been the first to protect the inalienable rights of children, instead of being instrumental in excluding these children.
To conclude, the ADPD – The Green Party speakers thanked the officials, educators, and other workers in the education sector for their work for the benefit of the children, whilst wishing students and educators a fruitful scholastic year.
