It is interesting to note that so far I have not seen anyone from the Faculty of Education comment about the topic of school hours. The fact that teachers’ unions are vociferous about any proposed innovations deters people from speaking their minds.

The discussion spurred by Edward Zammit Lewis sparked my interest and like him, I am strongly in favour of a much-needed reform.

My PhD examined the educational transitions of female students. Findings indicated that some had successfully passed subjects at ordinary level but still opted for MCAST, thinking they would eventually stop working in order to raise a family.

Let us all agree that there should be parity of esteem between MCAST, university, ITS and all the other educational institutions. On paper this is true but that is where it remains. Where are the pathways in all areas for students to progress freely between our educational institutions? Why are some diplomas supposedly equivalent to the Matriculation entry requirement for university not accepted?

I hail from a family of educators with both parents being college trained teachers and at least eight other relatives working in the sector. When I was still an infant, government schools had longer hours and my parents finished their school day at 4pm. I arrived home from school at the time they finished and I had no homework.

I cannot fathom how some schools supposedly give a holistic education to students when their school day terminates at 1.30pm leaving most students to cover at home what is normally explained in class.

Let’s face it, such students may be at a big disadvantage as most parents are not trained educators. Other parents have not had the privilege of getting a good education. Yet, common parlance dictates that sending one’s children to a non-state school is better by default!

Then we have the hidden curriculum. The impression that there are schools for those who are intelligent and those who are deemed to be less so. Subtle messages given by schools as to what their students should choose in order to be successful.

Success is just as subjective as the material to include in syllabi. I have become tired of seeing adolescents from the ages of 14 to 18 taking medication for anxiety. Our syllabi are an exaggeration, tapping mostly on memory and not on reasoning, failing to celebrate what a student has managed to achieve.

This is a disgrace and what is more tragic is that nothing is done about it.

The fact that the MATSEC board is part of the University of Malta does not help. We need an independent board apart from any educational institution which takes care of syllabi and exams. It is unfair to keep pushing levels up and setting examination papers in such a way that those who opt to attend other educational institutions are automatically disadvantaged.

Longer school hours are required in conjunction with a serious rethink of the way that holidays are staggered.

Summer holidays are too long and younger children tend to forget what they have learnt. We should have longer holiday periods throughout the year enabling teachers to have a breather too. Having modernised schools with air conditioning and switching to sports such as swimming in warmer periods can help us make this change.

Longer school hours are required in conjunction with a serious rethink of the way that holidays are staggered- Katya De Giovanni

What about private lessons? The amount spent on these lessons is ridiculous and they create an automatic divide between those who can afford them and the rest. Really and truly, private lessons should not be required... and is it why we have short school days? Serious, dedicated teachers surely should not need to complement what they earn from their school salary through private lessons.

Although there has been an increase in the wages, this is still not comparable to what other professions earn. Educators are those who ultimately enable others to become professionals in their field. Yet they end up earning far less than those they once taught!

Most comment that educators have holidays – another myth! Any professional educator knows that summer holidays are spent preparing for the forthcoming academic year and that other holidays are spent correcting.

So why do we need longer school days if syllabi are less taxing? Time is needed to teach digital skills, to encourage teamwork and foster collaboration. Time is needed for educators to present the same material in different ways to include different ways of learning.

Moreover, educators need to be given the time to reflect on their practice with the senior management team, with the inclusive education coordinator and also with education officers.

A serious shortcoming in all this is the fact that teaching is not about concepts but is entirely subject based. Rightly so, as educators, we are proud of our own subject but aren’t we missing the wood for the trees? We need a system where we co-teach, where we guide students to learn concepts and where we can collaborate.

This is true also for the connection between cognition (thinking) and conation (skills). I would like to see schools where everyone (students and educators) learn together, where those who are academically inclined are guided to learn skills whereas those who are gifted otherwise are enabled to learn subjects that are more abstract.

In any learning environment, students do learn from their teachers but the reverse is also true as is the fact that students also learn from each other.

Therefore, is longer better? I think that most students and educators would believe that it is, given a change in syllabi where learning can take its time in a relaxed environment, where educators are given the compensation that they truly deserve without having to additionally prepare for their private classes.

What would be most important is that students are then free to relax at home or to do their favourite sports or activities without any homework, fully recharged in order to return to school with a fresh mind.

Katya De Giovanni

Katya De Giovanni is a Labour MP and a warranted organisational psychologist and teacher. She is a resident academic within the Department of Psychology at the University of Malta.