University, proficiency in English and the PN
If there was a sector in which the PN excelled in the past, this was tertiary education. In Italian, it was ‘il fiore all’occhiello’ of all PN policies; though this does not mean that the road was a bed of roses.
The same could not be said for the rest of the educational policies, in particular, when it decided to adopt, as a role model, failed UK educational policies, which in turn were being influenced by the American Left.
In the name of equality, diversity and inclusion, the PN Government introduced the College system into our educational programme, which is now being recognized by one and all as a colossal failure. I need not remind the reader that when these systems were being introduced, the government found the support of the Labour Opposition because these policies, were being piloted by Marxist principles. After the fall of the Berlin wall, Marxism appeared a strange bedfellow to Liberal politicians.
Though the PN is, in principle, a Conservative party, it still included these models on its agenda in order to appear progressive. In the process, it made sure that the mass of teachers, who till then, were behind it, but sceptical of these leftist experiments in education, were side-lined. Despite the fact that similar policies in education were introduced in the 1970s, criticism was ignored on the premise that these reforms failed back then because, Agatha Barbara, the Labour Minister at that time, had not been apt to pilot these reforms. Another reason given is that these reforms were implemented in haste.
The Nationalists implemented the same reforms but in gradual phases: still, they failed. Therefore, it can be proven that this is not an issue of personality or haste but of a system. Comprehensive schooling did not work under Labour and failed under the Nationalists. With these comprehensive policies, Nationalists lost the support of teachers. The same is now happening to this Labour administration.
The PN thought that by promoting teachers coming from the Left, it was going to strike gold. It considered them a safe choice, and more importantly, the PN Government was ensuring that the Opposition would back the reforms. In this whole process, victims were the government schools and their pupils. They ended up with a system that is not working. But if one has any illusions that the situation could improve under this government, one is mistaken.
Today, we have a system where individuals are making sure that it is not the best teachers who are promoted but, as used to happen under the PN, it is their friends and allies who get promoted irrespective of capabilities. No need to go into detail, one example will suffice.
In a recent call for promotions, teachers who came from a particular college, in which the chairperson on the Selection Board worked as an educational leader, got promoted, while other teachers, despite being highly experienced and well qualified, but hailing from other schools were rejected and failed. The talk amongst educational leaders is that this particular person looks down upon teachers who come from certain schools.
Today, we have a number of government schools where drugs are being peddled. It is no longer a question of one particular school. The situation is now endemic and extremely serious. But no one wants these facts to be mentioned, which, nonetheless, are an open secret among teachers.
Alluding to these topics would reflect badly on both government and Opposition! The whole educational system is in tatters and those teachers who point out any lacunae are automatically black-listed. Our main political parties only want to hear how successful our system is.
If the PN wants its promises to be credible, it should start by proffering an apology to those teachers, many of whom are now pensioners, who were discriminated against for having been honest enough to tell government that the comprehensive reforms were non-starters.
I mention this in view of the recent news carried in the local newspapers where the PN took umbrage at our university’s decision to make a proficiency test in English obligatory for new entrants. Had the PN opposed these measures because of its historic anti-colonial position, I could possibly understand, but to oppose university’s new rule in the name of inclusivity and integration is sheer madness. A proficiency test in English is necessary. I have no problem to state that a number of those who are now being promoted in the Education Department lack rudimentary skills in English and Maltese. This situation should no longer be tolerated in all sectors, not just education.
Even exam papers carry unacceptable mistakes in both languages. Moreover, the exam levels have spiralled down. One needs only to compare English and Maltese exam papers of the eighties and early nineties with those of today to attest the difference in level.
The PN, instead of lauding our university’s initiative and encouraging students to follow an English Communicative Aptitude Programme, resorted to issuing a press release in which it attacked it. Why the PN felt the need to declare that the university’s decision was taken in haste, leaves one speechless. This smacks of arrogance and sends signals that once in government, it intends continuing with these failed policies. The PN should be concentrating on winning back teachers, particularly those who do not stand a chance of promotion under this current government.
The PN is clearly demonstrating lack of respect for university’s current senate and administration. It is the university that has the sacrosanct right and duty to ensure that the academic standards required of any reputable university are not only maintained, but improved. Indisputably, it cannot allow its standards to be sold down the drain for a distorted ideal of educational inclusivity. Our university’s job is to produce worthy graduates with a solid basis from which to start out in their chosen profession. If university felt the need to introduce these new measures, this is because our early compulsory education is failing miserably, despite students passing Intermediary and Advanced Level examinations. It has to ensure that future tertiary education entrants have already sufficiently mastered the basics required to express themselves coherently and intelligibly.
It is clear that the PN is oblivious to the poverty in the use of language and the puerility that has gradually seeped into our lecture rooms that would tax the patience of any saint. The PN is now victim of the propaganda of its adversaries, when embracing culture was considered tantamount to Fascism.
However, it is also a fact that election time is creeping in and what better way of going about recruiting new blood to the party’s way of thinking, than by roping in fledgling first-time voters by empathizing with them and to blazes with those who care about improving a desperate educational situation.
As we all ought to know, our Constitution stipulates that Maltese and English are Malta’s official languages, a clause our educational system is hell bent on destroying. Indeed, at present, we are facing problems in the use and misuse of both languages and this because there is not sufficient basic knowledge in the correct use of vocabulary, synonyms etc.
And if we are to rely on miraculous IT assistance, I must confess that even predicted text is no real help to those who are not sufficiently versed to know which correct word to choose, thus placing potential tertiary students at a complete disadvantage. The problem we are faced with today stems from the lack of solid basic knowledge and the failure of our educational reforms along these past four decades.
As we all ought to know, our Constitution stipulates that Maltese and English are Malta’s official languages, a clause our educational system is hell bent on destroying