Our moral purpose in education

Our objective in education is to provide present and future generations with the necessary skills and talents for citizenship and employability, in the 21st century and beyond.

Our commitment is to provide an education system where our children develop their personal and social potential and acquire the appropriate knowledge, key skills, competences and attitudes through a value-oriented formation including equity, social justice, diversity and inclusivity.

My reading of recent history of education policy in Malta is that globalised discourse in local policy prevailed for around a period of two decades starting from around 1995. Influential discourse in policy documents that inspired our vision of education is traced in ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ (1995), ‘Creating the Future Together’ (1999), ‘For All Children to Succeed’ (2005) and ‘A National Curriculum Framework for All’ (2012).

This phase was preceded by a new generation of grounded, evidenced and research-based policies that contextualised design, planning and implementation. Among the policy documents that set the roadmap for educational change are the ‘Framework for the Education Strategy for Malta: 2014-2024’ (2014), ‘A National Literacy Strategy for All: 2014-2019’ (2014), ‘Malta National Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020’ (2014), ‘The National Employment Policy’ (2014) and ‘My Journey: Achieving through different paths’ (2016).

As set in the education strategy for Malta (2014), our moral purpose in education is to reduce the gaps, decrease the number of low achievers and raise the bar in students’ achievement. There is planned commitment in supporting educational achievement of children at-risk-of-poverty and from low socio-economic status, and reducing the relatively high incidence of early school-leavers. Education institutions are dedicated in raising the levels of student retainment and attainment in further, vocational, and tertiary education and training.

In order to achieve the above measurable targets, we had no other option than to revisit the traditional schooling system which is in essence a single structure system mainly inclined towards a general academic route where secondary school students are set in the core subjects. We need to depart from a one-size-fits-all system where alternatives are considered as inferior to the so called ‘mainstream’, and move towards different learning paths that equitably provide quality learning programmes with parity of esteem leading to qualifications up to MQF level 3. Our commitment towards high standards of learning which is relevant, effective and timely ensures that all children develop into young people and adults equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes to be fulfilled, active citizens and to give valuable contributions in society and at work.

‘My Journey: Achieving through different paths’ (2016) is a planned change that that brings together discourse and policy implementation in the Maltese classroom. It builds on past and present educational aspirations, policies and reforms which promoted learning that is relevant to personal, social and economic development. The forthcoming reforms in teaching and learning equitably promote core values and strive to achieve the targets highlighted in the Framework for the Education Strategy for Malta 2014-2024, facilitates the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework (2012) and the Learning Outcoms Framework (2015). ‘My Journey’ supports a comprehensive and inclusive secondary school system that provides equitable quality learning programmes with parity of esteem and no dead-ends.

The introduction of learning outcomes that will replace the prescribed syllabi, the added value of different forms of formative assessment, the introduction of new vocational and applied subjects, the continuous professional development programmes, the ever increasing investment in infrastructure including the newly designed VET and applied workshops, are just few of the necessary means to achieve the above mentioned aims for all our children to succeed.

We are morally and professionally devoted in providing quality professional development to our educators and education professionals, and in providing equitable provision of quality learning opportunities to our students. This is our journey.

We need to depart from a one-size-fits-all system where alternatives are considered as inferior to the so called ‘mainstream’, and move towards different learning paths that equitably provide quality learning programmes.