A third of parents want fewer school holidays: State of the Nation
The survey took a snapshot of what people think of Malta's educational system
A third of parents with children under 16 want fewer school holidays, with one in five wanting longer school hours, according to this year’s edition of the annual State of the Nation study.
Now in its fifth edition, the study cast a particular eye on the topic of education, also touching upon a debate that arose earlier in the year over whether Maltese students should have longer school hours.
The study found that one in three parents with children under 16 agree that children should have fewer holidays, while one in five say they would like their child to stay longer at school during the day.
These numbers drop sharply among people without children under the age of 16, with people who are parents of older children, or not parents at all, less eager on the idea.
Parents of younger children are also less supportive of homework than those without children under 16.
However both are overwhelmingly in favour of exams as a method of assessment.
The annual study is spearheaded by Lou Bondi (left) and Vincent Marmará (right). Photo: Chris Sant FournierFace-to-face contact on the decline
The survey also explored how communication trends are changing, finding that young people communicate with their friends through social media more frequently than through face-to-face or telephone contact.
The survey finds that face-to-face communication is broadly in decline across the entire Maltese population, with the number of people saying they discuss current affairs with friends in person dipping from over three-quarters in 2023 to under two-thirds this year.
Meanwhile, more than one in five now say social media is their default method of communicating with their friends.
Unsurprisingly, the survey finds that although Facebook remains the most popular social network among the Maltese, other platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have become ubiquitous among younger people.
Nine out of every 10 people under the age of 25 are on Instagram, the survey finds, with four out of every five also being on TikTok.
Despite the evermore pervasive presence of social media in people’s lives, the survey finds strong scepticism over its content.
When asked about social media’s educational value, respondents ranked it bottom of the list, far below the education imparted by family, school or friends.
The debate over regulating social media has gained traction in Malta in recent months. Late last year, junior minister Rebecca Buttigieg called for stricter rules for social media, a position shared by most respondents to a Times of Malta poll.