The dictionary describes a jigsaw puzzle as something which consists of a picture printed on cardboard or wood and cut into various pieces of different shapes that have to be fitted together.

Imagine living in a country whose identity is deeply rooted in the firm belief that the jigsaw puzzle stands for life, the cardboard or wood that the picture is printed on stands for our soul, the puzzle’s various pieces being us and the different shapes being our individual talents. It seems that nature is an epitome of this. Complex ecosystems depend entirely on the inter-relationship of different organisms.

How would life be like if our societies were formed on this template? Very different from the society we are living in for sure. All energy would be invested in helping each individual understand that first and foremost self-actualisation is directly linked to being of service to others.

Doctors need patients, teachers need students, farmers and fishermen need people who want to consume their produce, the importance of hygiene necessitates the services of cleaners while the young and the inexperienced need the wisdom of the elders.

As nature has been showing us all along we need each other to make it in this world.  Making use of everybody’s talents to ensure a high-quality service should be the backbone of Gozo’s social and economic model. Our education system needs to be the spearhead of this vision.

High-quality service can only be achieved through hard work, caring and self-discipline. This contrasts widely with the instant self-gratification culture our children are exposed to on a daily basis.

It is paramount for all to understand that a deep understanding of the laws that govern the natural environment we are all part of is an antidote to this culture that corrupts the mind and the spirit. Such understanding cannot be achieved solely through books, it needs to be experienced firsthand.

In view of all this, a piece of land should be allocated to every school in Gozo.

This would facilitate regular field trips on foot, thus incurring no extra financial burden on parents in the form of transport expenses. It would reduce the children’s carbon footprint, promote road etiquette and walking as a form of a free physical activity.

Nature with all its textures, colours and smells resonates deeply with awe, the main characteristic of very young children. It also offers a feast for the senses and it is a well-known fact that children learn through their senses.

Later on throughout their primary scholastic journey children need to be introduced to the customs of their forefathers. Aren’t the elders the most suited persons to deliver this knowledge through storytelling and first-hand experience?

A piece of land should be allocated to every school in Gozo- Maria Curmi

This initiative would help children foster a deep sense of belonging and love for the community they live in.

It would also expose them to the vast pool of knowledge that the elders had gathered throughout their lives. On the elders’ part it would give them back their natural place in society – the bearers of experience and wisdom.

The vernacular Razzett ta’ San Ġużepp with its adjacent land in Belliegħa is the ideal place where all this could take place for the benefit of children attending Victoria primary and secondary schools.

In the absence of a long-term vision for Gozo, the government sadly earmarked a big part of these vernacular buildings for demolition so that it would make way for the construction of a road on the adjacent land.

To add insult to injury, the road being proposed is one which leads to development of a housing estate in place of the green fields which are still be tilled by local farmers.

I, as one of the co-owners of this property (since it is public land and thus belongs to us all) urge the Planning Commission to reject the government’s plans for this site.

The common good dictates it. Gozo deserves better.

Maria Curmi

The NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa and its sister organisation Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex have applied for a conservation and protection order to be placed on this historic Razzett ta’ San Ġużepp in Victoria, against the threat of partial demolition. I hope that the powers answer to this request and that the building is saved for the posterity of our children.

Maria Curmi is a Din l-Art Ħelwa member.