All parts of the same puzzle
The new scholastic year is already a week in and has already experienced several teething problems.
Reports have come in of students returning to unfinished and mouldy classrooms, and of children treated to ‘free’ lessons due to a reported lack of teachers in some subjects. The Education Ministry has rushed to deny these claims, saying that there are enough teachers and no free lessons. It has also reacted to social media posts highlighting the bad state of some kindergarten classrooms, saying that finishing works were due to be completed before the children actually returned to school.
The education sector is a complex one which faces various challenges, some of which go far beyond the issue of unsatisfactory classrooms.
The Dean of the Faculty of Education wrote in an opinion piece published by this media house last week that teachers need to be properly trained to face modern realities and to feel that they can collectively positively affect students’ learning.
Dr Colin Calleja pointed out that, according to studies, teachers are the second most influential component affecting students’ achievement after the students themselves.
He argues on the need of having a wellprepared, professionally trained teaching force that can handle change and ensure that every child learns.
He names two main challenges teachers face, the first being student behaviour and the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of the students. This includes interaction with parents and the role of the former before and after school hours.
Many educators would argue that parents also play a pivotal role in the upbringing and education of their children. The way in which children are treated at home undoubtedly has a bearing on their behaviour at school and, as a result, their educational experience.
Unfortunately, many parents feel that the role of education belongs solely to teachers. They might fail at their parental duties but then expect teachers to perform miracles, not only with regard to education but also with the behaviour of their children. This is, of course, a wrong way of thinking since, as primary stakeholders, parents also have an important role to play.
Dr Calleja also refers to the increasing multiculturalism in schools which, he says, is regarded by some educators as “an additional chore prompted by some crisis.”
He stresses on the need for more in-class support to help teachers weave education for diversity into the central core of the curriculum, instruction, classroom climate and assessment. Multiculturalism is a reality that we have been experiencing for several years now, and Calleja, quoting international research, says that a multicultural education makes schooling more relevant and effective.
It is clear that parents have a very important role to play in the upbringing and education of our young ones, and teachers need to adapt to changing realities. They might need help with this, and this is where the authorities come in.
Continuous training and support is key in the education sector, but the infrastructural and logistical aspects should not be neglected either. For it is useless to train people to do their job only to have them become demotivated working in a less than desirable environment.
Each and every stakeholder must do their part if we truly want to give the best possible learning experience to our future generations.