‘School of basic English, integration should be set up to tackle bullying problem’
● Matsec reform decreases dyslexic students’ chances of getting into university
The Education Commissioner has suggested the setting up of a school where foreign students who do not speak English or Maltese are better prepared to join a state school, tackling the bullying problem.
In the Ombudsplan 2020, Charles Caruana Carabez again goes into the issue of bullying perpetrated by or against foreign students who are unable to integrate due to a lack of language skills.
He writes that students coming from different cultures and who do not speak either language can quickly start feeling lost.
“Our educational system was not designed to meet these challenges and the solutions offered are not and cannot be completely satisfying. After a few weeks, these children may start showing hostility. Not all Maltese children, on the other hand, are willing to approach them and help them during this difficult time. This is a reality,” Caruana Carabez writes.
For this reason, he feels there is a need for the creation of a school where these students are given the ability to communicate at least in basic English and where they are taught the basic principles of integration in a society that is completely new to them, before they are placed in state schools.
“This should never be regarded as a form of segregation, especially since their time at this particular school will be short,” he adds.
Commissioner Caruana Carabez was recently criticised by a number of NGOs after he expressed concern at the rise of group-bullying in schools by ethnic students. Some of the factors that give rise to such forms of bullying, he had said, include the fact that these students do not speak English or Maltese and the fact that some of them come from war-torn countries. His report was described by a number of groups as being “misinformed” and “seriously flawed.”
Caruana Carabez, however, has again addressed the issue, saying he has already looked into cases, and is aware of others, where foreign and Maltese students have become victims or aggressors as a result of this situation.
Matsec reform
Caruana Carabez also took aim at the proposed Matsec reform which, he said, will put dyslexic students at a disadvantage.
Under the proposed reform, which is at public consultation stage, students would have to choose a foreign language at advanced or intermediary level. Students require a pass in the Maltese and English language to get into university, but under the proposed reform they would need a foreign language, choosing between Italian, French, Spanish and German.
The Education Commissioner said students with dyslexia or other conditions will suffer as a result of the added compulsory language. “These students are already penalised for orthographic and lexical mistakes and they will struggle more with the additional language. With three languages, their chances of qualifying for university courses will decrease.”
The proposed reform will also allow student athletes to replace one of their optional intermediate subjects with their sport and will recognise co-curricular activities.
The Education Commissioner expresses concern here as well, saying that the way in which marks are given in sport and extra-curricular studies will become too subjective, and can lead to disputes between people who feel that they deserved more.
“It will become difficult, if not impossible, to come to equitable conclusions substantiated by fact,” he writes.
Government ‘reluctant’ to consult Ombudsman
In another section of the report, Ombudsman Anthony C. Mifsud decries the government’s “reluctance” to consult the office on how it intends to amend the Ombudsman Act in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
The commission, a body of the Council of Europe, recently adopted 25 principles described as “the most comprehensive checklist ever compiled to ensure an autonomous and independent Ombudsman institution.”
Mifsud writes that the time is ripe for a revision of the Ombudsman Act, which was drafted 25 years ago, to bring the institution in line with modern realities.
“This at a time when there is a thirst for the Rule of Law to be safeguarded.”
The aim is for this institution to be, like the National Audit Office, recognised as a vital organ in the verification of public administration, and to see that it is given the necessary tools to exercise its functions in a more effective manner.
Commenting about how power in Malta is too concentrated around the Prime Minister’s office and on the need for the decentralisation of power, the Venice Commission had made a number of recommendations, including measures to protect and promote the Office of the Ombudsman.
The government had pledged to implement most of the Venice Commission recommendations, however, the Ombudsman says that the government has so far failed to consult his office on how it intends to amend the law regulating it.
“This office cannot understand the government’s reluctance to discuss measures that will directly affect the powers and functions of the institution.”
Mifsud writes that political parties and governments often consult with stakeholders when drafting new policies and laws, as this can only lead to a better outcome. In this case, however, the government has not spoken to the Ombudsman’s Office about changes that will affect it directly.
The Ombudsman also lamented the fact that the office is often undermined by public administrators who do not fully understand its role as a defender of citizens. This often leads to decreased cooperation or even confrontation during the investigation stage, he says.
He also complains about the ‘ignorance’ of legal counsels who may not be fully aware of the functions of the Ombudsman and the misconception that the institution is an extension of the public service tasked with implementing the policies of the government of the day.