Stop the march of mothers to work

"Budget incentives to lure women back to work" was the front-page headline (The Sunday Times, October 15). Quite the opposite of what the Archbishop of Malta had to say in his homily on Independence Day.

The Archbishop sounded a warning against the march of mothers away form their families and into work. The Archbishop called on parents to find more time for their families. His analysis of the problems facing children and families contrasted with the 'welfare to work' principle behind the Budget incentives announced on Wednesday to raise women's participation in the labour market.

Parents should remember their nurturing role and not forget the dangers of becoming 'abusers of our children' by default. There is a pressure on parents to earn. Government is pressing hard to encourage women into jobs and is now planning to subsidise childcare by promoting training and childcare services.

The Archbishop was correct when he called on the leaders of the country for more public support for stable families and marriage. In a setting where relentless productivity is overvalued we can forget what is needed to produce functioning human beings.

We can become abusers of our children by default when we ignore the choices we can make that will better secure their stability and their sense of being seen and listened to.

It is important that people should have a choice about whether to work. Unfortunately we are in situation where active incentives are being introduced to take carers away from home. How do we stop rewarding neglect giving incentives for the breakdown of stable domestic environments?

Teachers in the primary schools say that the problem is not teaching children how to read, the problem is communicating with children who are simply not used to talking with adults at all or being talked to by adults. Children had, in effect, been turned loose. Economic pressure has a negative effect on education.

So please, let's put a stop to this march of mothers to work, for the good of our children and family.