Children’s chattering, giggling and playful screams filled schools across the island that came alive as the scholastic year started yesterday.
Thousands of schoolchildren, carrying colourful satchels and lunchboxes, peppered the island early in the morning as they waited for their minivans to drive them back to school on a rainy first day.
Students seemed eager to head back to class and, although they did not feel like returning to the homework routine, several said they did not really mind that the summer holidays were over.
“I’m really looking forward to school. I’ve been preparing to start for a while now,” said Ryan Gatt who started Year 4 yesterday.
His sister, Emma, shared the same feeling: “I’m excited today to be starting school. I’m curious to see in which class I will be and whether I’ll be with my friends.”
This year Emma will be in Year 6, her last year of primary school, and will not have to sit for the stressful Junior Lyceum exams as the new reform kicks in.
Come exam time, in May, the five common entrance and Junior Lyceum exams – Maltese, English, maths, social studies and religion – will be replaced by three: English, Maltese and maths.
Rather than being pigeonholed according to their overall grade, as was done through the old streaming system, students like Emma will be grouped according to their strengths and weaknesses in different subjects, creating a mixed-abilities classroom as from next scholastic year.
One would think Emma would be thrilled but, to her, it does not make that much of a difference.
Her mother, on the other hand, is a bit concerned since this new system is being tested on children like her daughter, who is oblivious to the difference the reform can make and is just happy to be back in class.
Yesterday Education Minister Dolores Cristina visited two state schools – the boys’ primary school in Ħamrun and the boys’ secondary in Mosta – to mark the first day of school.
She pointed out that, apart from the fact that the new reform was being implemented, this year teachers would benefit from better allowances and work conditions through the new collective agreement.
Mrs Cristina said 31,850 students from 169 government schools started school together with 15,780 pupils in 69 Church schools and 6,776 children in 39 private schools.
Maya Caruana, Year 3, was one of those thousands and was “happy” but confessed she would miss those carefree summer days without homework or exam pressures.
Maya’s cousin Danielle Saliba, Year 1, still has not experienced the homework routine and is really happy to be wearing a school uniform like Maya’s.
She is also curious to see what school is all about since she has only had kindergarten experience so far.
Jamie Bartolo Vassallo, who started Year 4, had fun in summer but is glad that school started. “I don’t really like the homework but school is fun,” the young man said as his little sister, Amy, agreed enthusiastically.
Her little friend, Julie Cortis, also started primary school this year and is thrilled to be in the school “for big children”. Despite her young age, the little schoolgirl seems to have her career mapped out. “I want to become a mummy,” she says with a giggle.
The new scholastic year also had its small hiccups as the Malta Union of Teachers declared an industrial dispute with Sacred Heart Junior School over “unilateral decisions” being taken by the board of governors.
A government spokesman said all went smoothly at the new school and any difficulties could be directed to customer care.