7 Things We Learnt From An In-Depth Discussion On Malta’s Education System Failing Us
Photos: Albert Camilleri
An intimate discussion organised by the TEDxUniversityOfMalta team has provoked some passionate reactions, particularly over their attention grabbing event name; “Has our education system failed us?”
Hosted at Hammett’s in Sliema, a panel of three educators (Mario Aquilina, a university lecturer, Nikki Fenech, a sixth form teach and Daniela Debono, a B.Ed student at the university of Malta engaged with an audience of teachers, parents and educators.
While there were a lot of interesting comments and questions, here are seven important takeaways.
1. It clearly hasn’t failed entirely
One of the first points raised by Mario Aquilina is that clearly, considering everyone present is in some sort of profession and has ‘made it’ in life, the education system hasn’t failed us entirely. And it’s also a dangerous path to just blame everything on the ‘education system’ as a scapegoat instead of tackling the issues we can change.
2. But there are many weak points
Obviously everyone was also quick to follow up with the fact that there are many issues with the current education system as well as our nation’s attitude towards learning. Hopefully change in the official structure will come (eventually), but it’s also up to the teachers to try their best to integrate modern techniques into the classroom environment.
3. Exam-oriented student culture is problematic
While being an easy way to asses learning for some students, we know what the pressure of exams does to students… and parents.
In Malta we’re obsessed with exams, and they come before everything – mental health, extra curricular activities, social interaction and even learning in general. It may seem alien to some, but exams don’t always help make a student better, in some cases they heavily hold them back.
4. High-achieving students are bored
One of the more controversial, but interesting, points raised is the fact that the Maltese education system has made a huge effort to focus on the middle and lower-achieving student.
While it’s always good to make sure those who need extra help learning are given the chance to blossom, Malta has now reached a stage where it’s we don’t engage the high achievers. A lot of them spend their time in class bored, not being challenged and unknowingly have their creativity and potential stifled.
5. We’re hurting students by always letting them win
A comment from a primary school teacher in the audience led to a discussion on the damage done by Malta’s new ‘trophy-culture’ where everyone is a winner as long as they participate.
While this seems like a good way to make every child happy, it was pointed out that in the long run this was actually detrimental to education since in life, not everyone wins. And if they don’t learn this lesson early on, finding this out as an adult can hit pretty hard.
6. Lowering the voting age should affect how we teach
Now that 16-year olds can vote a lot of the discussion centred around teaching children how to think independently and critically. It’s no secret that Malta has a huge problem with bias, and while it may be hard to fight the influence that comes from home, it’s important to give children political education.
Politics doesn’t have to be red or blue; teaching children how to vote, what to ask of politicians and ever realising that there’s more to political activism than parliament, local councils and European Elections.
7. It’s so important for parents and caregivers to be involved
As the discussion started to wind down an interesting suggestion was proposed by an audience member: why don’t we give parents a workbook, not just the kids.
If parents don’t understand the work their kids are doing, how can they help out? If parents don’t see the value in the curriculum, how can we expect kids to be motivated? While the counter argument that only parents who are already making enough effort would bother reading it is valid, it’s important to not give up before this system has even been tried.
