Now that the school transport scheme has been implemented, are there any issues that have been earmarked for improvement? Considering that a reported 800 students are currently not in the scheme, will it be continually expanded to accommodate everyone?
We will continue working until every student has this service. Despite the fact that the administration of non-state transport does not strictly fall in the remit of Government, we are doing all we can to help in the operational side of this and to help parents and operators. We have avoided a big-bang approach in this measure and even at this stage we have more students who are now using school transport compared with last year. This, in effect, means fewer cars on the roads, which is a positive factor. There is still a lot of demand out there and we will continue working to make sure the supply side delivers as well.
There are also reports of teachers taking on a heavier workload due to a shortage of teaching staff. Is anything being done to rectify this problem?
When the scholastic year started last Wednesday, the number of teacher vacancies in schools was three. On Thursday this has dropped to one. This does not mean that there isn't a challenge at stake. We have to work hard to make sure young people are interested in the teaching profession, which is also a vocation. Through the Institute for Education and the University of Malta we are also opening new opportunities for educators to enhance their personal development.
Income is a big factor in this. Teachers' wages, in comparison to university-rated professions, are significantly lower. This is particularly true in cases where, for example, ICT lecturers can potentially leave the education sector in favour of the Blockchain sector, resulting in students without high-quality teachers. Has this scenario been considered?
This is not a phenomenon that is only affecting the education sector: it is affecting the whole economy. If you ask local IT businesses, they will tell you the same thing. I think that the agreement reached last December was a positive step for teachers and educators but, as I said earlier, there are other factors at play which I think are equally important, especially personal development, and we are also strengthening this side of the equation.
This year will see the removal of mid-yearly exams from particular grades. After this is implemented for all grades, are there any plans to assess students in ways other than through final exams?
With this reform, which has been taken with a steady step over a period of four years, where we are moving away from the winner-takes-all exam model to continuous assessment. The next step will be to work with stakeholders to implement and assess this measure.
Last year we saw reports of students and parents being hostile towards teachers, sometimes to the point where they could not continue their lessons. Are any steps being taken to protect teachers' well-being and ability to teach in their classrooms?
As a Ministry, we have always taken a zero-tolerance approach to any sort of hostility or violence and we will continue doing so. This is even more serious when it comes from parents and other adults – people who should know better and set a good example. We are working on legislation to introduce much harsher sentences for any violence committed in a school or its immediate vicinity. Like any working environment, but even more so in schools, people should be able to work in peace and feel protected.
In 2017, Malta had the second lowest percentage of tertiary education achievement. Are there any plans to ensure that Maltese people undertaking this form of education will obtain better paying jobs?
One has to see this in context. In the EU Commission's 2017 report, the 30-34 aged tertiary education attainment score, one of the ET2020 benchmarks, increased from 26 per cent in 2013 to 29.8 per cent in 2016. This is double the EU average increase.
I don't believe that this indicator is the only one that should be taken into consideration. We must ensure that we provide our young people with relevant skills for today's economy, rather than simply equate the success of our education system to just certification. We also have to understand the economic realities of our country and tackle issues such as skill gaps.
An important policy document that we published in the previous legislation on the subject of underemployment, went relatively unnoticed by the media but it clearly showed that we have graduates who are under-employed. So while one indicator can give a glimpse, it is important to understand the different factors at play in the education, employment and economic realities to truly appreciate the challenges in front of us.
With regard to employment, critics are arguing that even though the economy is growing, Maltese wages remain stagnant. It appears that the market in general is not reacting to the rise in the cost of living, particularly because we have seen and read reports of people who cannot afford to pay rent. Do you think the government should intervene by way of direct or indirect action to increase wages?
I take pride in being a member of a government which does not let things slide and takes a pro-active approach to things. Our economy is doing very well but sometimes there are downsides to this success. As we have done on other important policy decisions over the past years, I think this Government will also deliver when it comes to tackling this challenge. I do not think it is a challenge that is solely linked to wages, but you have to take other things into consideration such as the cost of living, rent and inflation.
Our duty not only as policy-makers but also as social democrats, is to come up with solutions that help different strata of society. While others play the populist tune, we'd rather come up with effective policies and solutions that really address these issues.
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