The Matsec factory

Sonia Camilleri, the Commissioner for Children, gave what I thought was one of the best interviews I have read in recent years. It was tucked away in L-Orizzont. Yet her opinions, after a relatively short time in the job, actually bring together so many of the educational, social and even cultural mindset issues that beset these tiny islands, that all of us who have the interest of our young ones at heart should note very carefully.

Those who are in a position to take action in education, the ministers, educators and policymakers, as well as the Church that could lead by example here, should take action before we lose yet another generation to this factory that is the Maltese Matsec system.

Her main points were:

1. It is unfortunate that our whole system is built around exams.

2. It is the parents who are obsessed with obtaining certificates, and who consequently overstress their kids. In other words, parents do not always know best as far as their children are concerned.

3. Private lessons are the norm and are starting to be so even for young children.

4. Our children don't know how to play!

5. Stress levels are enormous, and unnecessarily so.

Essentially the Commissioner is telling us that we are bringing up more children to fail than to succeed, with all the consequences for the future that will bring. Whatever we seem to do here, we seem to take it to excess. Whether it's extravagant birthday parties or Communion dresses worth a ridiculous amount, so too with the ambition of so many Maltese parents for their children to somehow do better than them.

And yet we have a low rate of people even making it to University, and a low rate of higher education is a very negative barometer for this country as a whole.

And, even more tragically, at the other end of the spectrum we have high illiteracy rates too, so we are clearly failing those who are bright enough to make it to University but don't do so because the whole Matsec factory kills off any desire for further education, and also failing the thousands who after ten plus years at school can't even read or write.

Now I am lucky in the sense that my daughter's school, Chiswick House School, does not overstress the children too much at a young age, although I think all over Malta we start reading and writing way too early, and don't emphasise play, creativity and stimulation enough. There is, in her school, time for music and other subjects, where kids can play, relax and be themselves.

But at the end of the day I am fully aware that this cosy situation will soon end, and once the five-year haul to get through your Matsec starts there can be no let-up, and there is no let-up. Children my daughter's age who attend Church schools, for example (my daughter is eight), do far more homework than she does, have covered far more already, but are they brighter, happier, more self-fulfilled, more creative? It doesn't seem so.

Essentially school in Malta, and the Matsec system in particular, is about learning vast reams of information and regurgitating it at exam time. It was pretty similar when I was at school but with one vital difference. There is now at least three to four times more information to be absorbed, besides the plethora of new subjects.

Even to do your Holy Communion here, religion lessons at school are not enough. Off our kids have to troop, once, twice, sometimes four times a week (!) to get extra coaching. What exactly are we coaching these six-year-olds in? Cannot the Church lead by example and stop this treadmill of duttrina lessons, and also put pressure on Government to lessen the pressure on our children's scholastic hurdles?

If the religion lessons at school aren't good enough, let us tackle that, but let the kids come home from school, have a healthy meal, do a little homework and then play. Why do we expect them to put in a longer working day than many adults? It simply beggars belief.

Now I know human beings evolve and our brains grow more capable but isn't it entirely likely that we are pushing and cramming too much too soon down our young children's brains?

And in life and in the world of work tell me what skills are most important? How often in a working day, whether you work at home or in an office or factory or wherever, do you repeat vast reams of information? It is one way of assessing and testing, but if there is too much information, you are setting up too many kids to fail and the result is disastrous for this country.

It already shows. Look at the high rates of children who do drugs like Ecstasy and similar, who are bored out of their minds. Once they get out of the crushing factory that is our Matsec system, Paceville is the only place and way to freak.

We made such a fuss about the public health issue around smoking but when are we going to recognise, accept and take action on the fact that we are damaging our children and society in future if we continue down this road?

I've written about this before, but I do hope that those who appointed the Children's Commissioner can act on her words. This is one area which does not necessarily require more money, after all. Reduce the content of these exams. Recycle the stem to include exams and assessment, and let us reuse the good sense we seem to have had in the past.