National conference on family literacy

A national conference on family literacy, aimed at educators and parents of young children, is to be held next month at the Coastline Hotel in Qawra.

The conference will take place on September 12 and 13 and is being organised by The Institute for Child and Learning Support within the Foundation for Educational Services (FES).

The aim is to highlight the important contribution of family literacy work in the context of the National Minimum Curriculum and expose educators to work that is carried out in Malta and abroad.

The conference would therefore be of interest to all educational administrators and educators working in the field of basic and family literacy, as well as to parents of young children.

It will include keynote speeches by internationally renowned experts in the area of family literacy including Alan Wells, director of the Basic Skills Agency of England and Wales, and Prof. Sheila Wolfendale from the University of East London.

Mr Wells is one of the pioneers of the development and implementation of family literacy programmes in the UK, while Prof. Wolfendale is at the forefront of research and assessment in this field.

The conference will also feature practical workshops on how parents can best help their young children develop basic skills while at the same time becoming learners themselves.

Teachers will have the opportunity to learn how they can develop effective home-school links and integrate similar innovative approaches in their classroom practice.

A number of family literacy tutors involved in the Parent Empowerment for Family Literacy Project (P.E.Fa.L.) will take part in the conference.

P.E.Fa.L. is an international project carried out by the FES with the support of the European Community in the framework of the Socrates/Grundtvig programme.

The FES is coordinating the project in collaboration with institutions from Belgium, England, Italy, Lithuania, Rumania and Spain. The aim is to implement family literacy programmes in these countries by adapting the Maltese family literacy experience to different European settings, forming a network of learning communities that support each other, empower adults and lead to lifelong education opportunities.

Family literacy programmes in Malta were started by the FES in 2001 through the introduction of Hilti Clubs organised in state primaries after school. Pupils who take part are of mixed ability.

Through sessions called Id f'Id, parents of children participating in the clubs discuss educational strategies and are encouraged to learn and practise tools that stimulate their children to learn more effectively. Parents also join their children during other sessions in order to practise these educational tools.

Hilti clubs currently operate in 20 primary schools and have reached over 800 pupils and their families so far. Ten new centres are being established and will become operational during the 2003-04 scholastic year.

The National Conference on Family Literacy will be an opportunity for Maltese schools hosting Hilti clubs to network with schools involved in the P.E.Fa.L. project from the different European countries.

School administrators, teachers and parents who would like to participate can contact the conference organisers on 2145 4600, 2145 5607 or on fes@gov.mt and ask for Juan Camilleri. Childcare services are being provided on request throughout the conference.

For more information, visit www.pefalmalta.org.mt