Read The Letter Sent To All Parents And Teachers About The Murder Of Daphne Caruana Galizia
The Director General for the Quality and Standards in Education has sent an official letter to parents and teachers across the island entitled: ‘A Tragic Awakening’. The letter comes a day after the brutal assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The director, Ian Mifsud, speaks about the importance educators and parents have in forming young minds and fostering a safe and fruitful society for everyone to live in.
Scroll down for the Maltese version.
Here is the letter in full:
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Waking in the aftermath of the tragic news that yesterday shocked Malta and the connected world, I could read in so many eyes, grief, anger, disbelief, sorrow and so many other intricate emotions that thankfully intimately still belong to us as humans. As a citizen, a father, and particularly an educator in my current role, I felt compelled to express the grievous awakening with which we are faced, reminding us of the collective responsibility for the formation of today’s and tomorrow’s society.
Whilst emphasising that the prime educators incontestably need to remain the parents, I deeply recognise that no other profession has been endowed with the potential agency to influence the moral fibre or social fabric as much as the one I proudly belong to.
“As a citizen, a father, and particularly an educator in my current role, I felt compelled to express the previous awakening with which we are faced”
Our vocation is not to act as mere teachers of subjects, but to be educators of human beings, called to create a caring and safe, yet lovingly firm and orderly climate where learning and formation of spiritually, morally, emotionally, cognitively and physically healthy individuals unfold, particularly through the example we set.
The curriculum is moulded by life, and today we are reminded that the fostering of active citizenship which upholds the values of life, love and genuine respect above all, is as, if not more, important as supporting individuals in becoming employable, lifelong learners.
My plea to each and every one of us, is to be cognisant of the beacon we represent to so many youngsters, encouraging our interactions within formal education to inspire love, creativity and critical thinking, epitomised in the pursuit of a meaningful life within a just and better world, also through responsible freedom of speech.
“My plea to each and every one of us, is to be cognisant of the beacon we represent to so many youngsters”
I extend my same appeal to fellow parents and guardians, irrespective of political and/or other beliefs, fervently trusting, also as a Roman Catholic living within a multi-faceted, diverse community, that mankind’s essence is good, and this should prevail when setting our priorities, which also entail personal sacrifices.
I sincerely believe that most of us genuinely wish each other well, and this is to be nurtured through our thoughts, words and actions, so our children may flourish and inherit the values we jealously protect.
Thank you for collectively acknowledging this tragic awakening and sharing this responsibility entrusted to us.
“I sincerely believe that most of us genuinely wish each other well”
The Maltese version:
Għeżież Kollegi u Ħbieb,
L-għada tal-aħbar traġika li l-bieraħ ħasdet lil Malta u lil komunita’ internazzjonali, stajt nara fl-għajnejn ta’ ħafna d-dieqa, ir-rabja, l-istagħġib, in-niket u ħafna aktar emozzjonijiet li jagħmluna umani, li b’xorti tajba għadhom jappartjenuna.
Bħala ċittadin, missier u partikularment edukatur fl-irwol li qed nokkupa, inħoss li huwa dmir tiegħi li nesprimi l-gravita` tas-sinjal li jfakkarna fir-responsabbiltà kollettiva tagħna fil-formazzjoni tas-soċjetà tal-lum u ta’ għada.
Filwaqt li ninsisti li mingħajr l-ebda dubju, l-edukaturi prinċipali għandhom jibqgħu l-ġenituri, nirrikonoxxi liebda professjoni oħra ma hi mogħnija bil-potenzjal li tinfluenza l-fibra morali u soċjali bħal dik li fi ħdanha għandi l-unur li nappartjeni. Il-vokazzjoni tagħna mhix sempliċiment li nkunu għalliema ta’ suġġetti, imma li nservu ta’ edukaturi ta’ bnedmin, billi noħolqu klima sana u sigura, b’imħabba u fermezza, fejn it-tagħlim u l-formazzjoni tal-individwi sani fl-aspetti kollha (spiritwali, morali, emozzjonali, konjittivi u fiżiċi), partikolarment bl-eżempju li nwasslu jintlaħaq.
Il-kurrikulu huwa msejjes fuq il-ħajja, u llum aħna mfakkra li t-trawwim ta’ ċittadinanza attiva li tgħożż il-valuri tal-ħajja, imħabba u rispett ġenwin, huwa importanti daqs, jekk mhux aktar, milli nkebbsu fl-individwi impjeggabli, in-namra għat-tagħlim tul il-ħajja.
Il-karba tiegħi lil kull wieħed u waħda minna hija li nirrikonoxxu li aħna punt ta’ riferiment għal tant żgħażagħ, u għaldaqstant għandna nispiraw imħabba, kreattività u ħsieb kritiku, bl-għan aħħari li nilħqu l-milja ta’ ħajja li fiha sens f’dinja aħjar u aktar ġusta, anke bis-saħħa ta’ libertà tal-espressjoni b’mod responsabbli.
Nestendi din it-talba lill-ġenituri u lill-gwardjani, irrespitavement minn kull twemmin politiku u/jew ieħor, filwaqt li nafda bis-sħiħ, anke bħala Nisrani li ngħix f’komunità diversa, illi l-essenza umana hija twajba u dan għandu jkun rifless fil-prijoritajiet tagħna, anke jekk ikun jeħtieġ sagrifiċċji personali.
Sinċerament nemmen li l maġġoranza tagħna nixtiequ ġid ġenwin lil xulxin u dan għandu jkun manifestat fil-ħsibijiet, fid-diskors u fl-aġir tagħna sabiex it-tfal li qed inrabbu jirtu l-valuri tant għeżiez għalina.
Nirringrazzjakom talli kollettivament qed nagħrfu dan is-sinjal u li flimkien qed naqsmu din ir-responsabbiltà fdata lilna.