Today’s students are under a lot of pressure compared to the ones that came before them.

Now they are bombarded by distractions mostly brought about by entertainment channels, social media and communication apps that make their way into their homes, rooms and desks – at any time of day.

It is no wonder that some struggle to focus. What has not changed is parents’ desire to push their children to do better and be the best.

Now that the world of employment is so competitive, and with prospects that it could become more difficult, parents are even more eager to push their children.

These two elements have further fuelled the private lesson culture that already existed.

But something is not working.

Recent figures published by MATSEC showed that one in every five students sitting for an exam in a core O level subject failed their exam. In practice, this means that over 2,600 students who sat for their O level exam in either mathematics, English language or Maltese received a U grade.

Yet, a recent survey showed that six out of 10 secondary school students in Malta attend private tuition. Mathematics was the most popular subject for tutoring across all ages, followed by Maltese, English and physics.

Why are so many students failing these core subjects, if so many of them are attending private lessons?

The obvious conclusion is that, not only are the schools failing to get these students to pass their O levels, but so are the private lessons – despite coming at an extra cost to parents – not to mention the extra pressure on students.

Parents recently complained about the quality of online private lessons, with some teachers accepting over 40 students at one time.

This is leaving students, who are already struggling with a subject, having to make an even bigger effort to keep up and concentrate due to the lack of individual attention that private lessons are meant to provide.

Graham Sansone, from the Union of Professional Educators, blamed this on the low salaries and lack of investment in education, which gives teachers no choice but to resort to private lessons to pay their bills – and this was fuelling greed.

Malta Union of Teachers chief Marco Bonnici took this to the next level saying that private lessons should be regulated to ensure they abide by quality standards that apply to compulsory education.

Regulating the practice would address the current “anything goes” situation, he said. It would ensure that only qualified teachers can teach, and address issues brought about by online private lessons that gained popularity after the COVID pandemic.

All this highlights a range of issues that need to be urgently addressed.

The first concerns the re-evaluation of the education system – a debate that crops up every now and again. Could it be time to rethink the way we are teaching our children and trying to cram the year with a hectic curriculum? Perhaps this system is not working in this world that competes for students’ attention.

The second issue revolves around ensuring that, if children still need extra help, they get it in a manner that actually helps them.

This is not just about passing exams. It is about offering valuable education that lasts beyond the exam day.

It is about addressing an education system that can demoralise struggling students.

It is about creating a system that encourages much-needed critical and forward thinking to navigate today’s complex world.