We need to prepare our young people to be able to live in a world of diversity, borderless societies with different cultures, rapid technological changes that require scientific and functional literacy, a global competitive economy where investment flows and wealth creation processes flourish in countries with a highly educated workforce that is innovative, capable of using different languages, can work in teams, and is equipped to navigate in uncharted waters. Most of what goes on in our schools is still designed for an insular society with the illusion that the fortifications built by the Knights can protect us from the wider world outside.
When we finally decide to make a step forward we tend to be too hesitant and timid. Government has announced some reforms in primary education that do very little to bring our schools into the 21st century. The results of the survey carried out in 2007 of how our secondary students perform in Science and Maths (TIMSS 2007) show what a lot we need to do to improve our education in these two indispensable areas. What is worse is that the decision was taken not to have our primary schools participate in TIMSS 2007. I dread to think what the results would have been had we participated as we lack serious science education in our primary schools.
One of the best performing countries in science education is Singapore. For the last 13 years Singapore’s schools have always placed at the top in the world. The TIMSS 2007 survey affirms that Singapore schools are well-equipped with science laboratories and human and financial resources are readily available for mathematics and science education with a safe and conducive environment for learning. But in Malta science is not even one of our core subject areas in our primary schools and the government reforms for primary education go nowhere near into addressing this serious shortcoming as only Maltese, English and Maths are being designated as core subjects.
Our schools are also out of touch when it comes to sex education. While many of our students experiment in sex and practise casual sex with teen pregnancies going up and sexually transmitted infections spreading, we prefer to behave like ostriches. As Dr Philip Carabot told the Social Affairs committee in parliament a few weeks ago we need to open our eyes to today’s realities, not as things were, or how we would like them to be. We need a robust national sexual health policy. We should go for “an aggressive, robust policy with bite. No wishy-washy fine words and coy phrases. Similarly our campaigns need to be equally aggressive, imaginative, innovative and fresh.”
To succeed, this sexual health policy needs full political commitment and backing with a firm determination to implement it with all the financial and human resources necessary. As Dr Carabot says in his report for 2007: “In common with all previous reports, the very worrying trend of high casual sex coupled with almost universal condom non-use, is a serious indictment of our country’s entire Sex Education progamme in particular, and our sporadic Sexual Health Promotion “campaigns” in general.
It is the author’s impression, based on running of the GU clinic for the last eight years, that many of the young people seen lack the most basic of social and sexual skills, (including basic genital hygiene) one expects in a modern society. This lack of preparedness for the realities of life makes one wonder which part of the National Curriculum (Sexual Health) is actually being implemented and by which schools.
“The key recommendation remains, as in all previous reports, that the country needs with urgency a robust National Sexual Health Policy based on the realities of Maltese society as it actually is today. It should be drawn up by experts unfettered by institutional agendas. The 'revised' document drawn up seven years ago and unanimously rejected by STIPC (Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevention Committee) as being too weak, should be shelved permanently and re-written. (STIPC’s term of office expired at the end of 2007. To date it has not been re-appointed.).”
It is simply pathetic that in 2008 there are no condoms machines at the University, MCAST and ITS. It is equally pathetic that some form of sex education in secondary school students is largely confined to Personal and Social Development classes and activities. Last October a MaltaToday survey discovered that “the vast majority of Maltese people do not share the government’s timid approach to safe sex education in schools. The survey, in which 300 respondents were directly asked whether 'education on the use of condoms and other contraceptives' should be provided in secondary schools, revealed an astounding 85% in favour of teaching students about the use of condoms. Only 8% opposed it.”
The Catholic Church and its religious groups have all the space and liberty they need to preach sexual abstinence and it is up to them to try and be as effective as possible but they have no right to impose themselves on those who want to provide sex education, including condom-use, to those who choose to have sex.
We have a lot to do to bring our schools into the 21st century. Unless serious well thought through measures are taken, the chasm that separates the world inside our schools and the world outside will continue to grow. Most of what happens in many of our schools prepares our students for yesterday and not for today and tomorrow. While our globalised world continues to change dramatically our schools trudge on and fail to provide our young people with the necessary life skills and knowledge and competencies that they need in the 21st century.
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Most of what goes on in our schools is still designed for an insular society with the illusion that the fortifications built by the Knights can protect us from the wider world outside.
