Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1075590
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 JANUARY 2019 tunity to learn a number of trades like woodwork, farming, welding and cooking. Young Gabriel himself says this method of teaching has helped him develop skills which he hopes to use in his future. "I'm happy with hav- ing had this chance." Other schools wouldn't have given him the chance to hone down on such skills, he says matter- of-factly, admitting that he was not suited for the classroom culture. "When I used to attend the other school the moment I just stepped over the line; I would be punished with after-school detention, without the teach- ers giving me a chance to ex- press what I felt emotionally," he says. "I used to feel caged in the classroom, here I am given the chance to calm down and rethink my actions." In stark contrast with what he used to experience, Ga- briel now looks forward to at- tending school, a feat he says would not have been achieved unless he attended the Educa- tion Hub. "When I grow up I want to be a panel beater, so learning welding helps me in achieving that goal," he says. Wezam Abushagir, another student here, praises the in- dividual attention given to the students by the teachers. "In most other schools, we would have been 30 students in a classroom, here we are just four and so the teacher has more time to handle personal issues that may arise," he said. Even at this tender age, Wezam has the self-awareness of having noticed an improve- ment in his behaviour, claim- ing the Education Hub helped him in realising his mistakes and assess how his decisions can have consequences. This positivity shared by students reflects the attitude adopted by teachers within the institution. "The small num- ber of students we have here helps us in dealing with them on a personal level. Big schools don't have the facility or per- sonnel to deal with students like these, the way we do," Gra- ziella Erkayasi said. "I used to work in larger class- rooms, and I know that the syl- labus and classroom size can affect the attention given to students like the ones we have here," she said. Erkayasi was formerly a teacher of Spanish, but her job has required her to shift to a more holistic type of educa- tion, where she currently acts as coordinator to the Prince's Trust Achieve programme. The curriculum teaches basic skills to students undergoing the programme, with money management, career education and team work all part of the course. Headmaster Manuel Fenech says the Education Hub pro- ject hopes to branch out in the near future. "Despite making substantial progress, we hope to make our services available across Malta. In order to pro- vide equal opportunities to students needing support, we must look to expand and reach out. There are other children like the students we have here, and they can only improve if they receive the attention we offer here." Fenech says that making sure the infrastructure caters for the courses provided, has been the biggest challenge he has faced during his time as Educa- tion Hub headmaster. "A key factor to ensuring the project is a success, is having the appropriate infrastructure to support the required cours- es," he says. Fenech also says it is neces- sary to have both suitable in- frastructure and capable staff members. "The building is important, but teachers and trainers with the necessary skills to handle and communicate with these students, are the secret to our accomplishments… To find individuals who are ideal to work with these young people is a challenge, not everyone can handle the intensity that comes with the job." Fenech insists on the impor- tance of continuous training for teachers. "We learn with them. No one can prepare you for the individual backgrounds they come from and that is why we insist on having our staff re- trained continuously," he says, hoping that more educators for this type of challenging en- vironment come forward and are trained to cater for burn- out. "The environment is men- tally challenging, and so having suitable and qualified replace- ments would make the transi- tion much easier." kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt NEWS EDUCATION Inside the school of hard knocks Gabriel Galea and Wezan Abushagir stand proud out in the school grounds before sitting down for an interview with MaltaToday. "I used to feel caged in the classroom, here I am given the chance to calm down and rethink my actions," Gabriel says "In order to provide equal opportunities to students needing support, we must reach out. There are other children like the students we have here, and they can only improve if they receive the attention we offer" Head of school Manuel Fenech