Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1096093
OPINION 27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MARCH 2019 Born to explore Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment IMAGINE you're a two-year-old, crunched down at almost eye-level with people's feet and about to go on the most remarkable journey of one's life: understanding the world around you. When you're at such a young age, it's akin to being an explorer in the olden days. Every whoosh sound of the kitchen intrigues you. You learn about the shape of things and what they do. You're getting to grips with human commu- nication, and learning the intricacies of informal communications. Someone is sad, someone is happy. You can tell just by looking at their face. It is a beautiful journey, both through the eyes of the child and through the eyes of the parents and grandparents who see this happen. We are born to explore. We're wired that way. It's like yawning, crying or sneezing, it's simply there within us from day one. That ability to explore is evolutionary, which allows humans to improve every generation. A child's mind is a sponge, absorbing every little detail and processing it so he or she under- stands the world around him or her. It's both remarkably complex and simple at the same time, but it is certainly a wonder to observe. At kindergarten age, the educational ladder helps children learn about human interconnection. The social aspect of kindergarten is so important, because it prepares them for a world where you have to live with others. When another child takes your toy, how do you react to that? How do you help each other and be considerate? I've no doubt that children retain their sense of exploration but there is a feeling that we blow out that candle as the years go by. We ask our children to sit down for long hours. The way some teaching takes place is not aligned with a child's energy, creativity and curiosity. This is not just the case in Malta, but worldwide. It's a reality that children are not always engaged, and we cannot realistically ask them to change what they're hardwired to do. Which is why we have to improve the educational experience we offer. We must reignite the 'spark' that lights up someone's world. This is something that Stephen Hawking writes extensively about, the ability of a teacher to light up a spark in a child's mind. It is indeed a gift we give our children when we help them see the wonders of the world around us. Education is, in its most basic nature, the world around us. Take science or physics. I cannot think of an individual, young or old, who is not mesmerised by some of the experiments that one can do. It's like magic, but with a reasoned explanation at the end. This not only does not kill a child's sense of curiosity and exploration, but it ignites a spark that expands it. I've mentioned science as an example because I know that is exactly what is being done in schools by some really passionate educa- tors today. Over the years results have improved considerably, and through this approach we're changing the perception of science subjects. You may ask: you're a government min- ister responsible for education, so why not change things faster and bolder to make sure those 'sitting for eight hours a day' examples are a thing of the past? We have started doing that. By offering vocational subjects in recent years we've caused change at the periphery, and from this coming September these subjects will become mainstream. Vocational and applied subjects will be introduced at a national level. Sitting for eight hours a day can be truly a thing of the past through the promotion of these subjects, which aim to engage students through a learning-by-doing approach. However, at the end of the day, it's not government which changes education and ignites that 'spark'. It's educators on the ground. Our job is to make it easier for them as much as possible, and there are many challenges. But the end goal is something truly exceptional – helping a young mind grow into its full potential. We are letting a child see the world for its beauty and marvel, and helping him or her understand the mechanics behind it. We live in an age where, sometimes, the intellectual and the scientific ap- proach is relegated, and the populist what-sounds-good approach elevated. We have to rediscover ourselves. To do that we have to make sure the next gen- eration does not lose its sense of explora- tion, curiosity and love for learning. We must help them find their spark. After all, every revolution starts with one. THOUGH the coalition between the Partit Nazzjonalista and Partit Demokratiku is long since passed, I have recently found myself in many discus- sions with many people who are unclear about the intentions that my party had going into that agreement. I was present at the table when the coalition agreement was signed, but I have made the mistake of assuming that others know the same things that I do, simply because they come across as be- ing common knowledge. Over the past couple of years since my entry into poli- tics, however, I have learned that certain things which I think should be clear to others are things which are actually not that widely known at all. I firmly believe in civic education, especially in light of giving the vote to 16-year-olds. It is also why I feel that it is my duty to inform and to educate as much as possible, using the public plat- form that I possess as deputy leader of Partit Demokratiku. Let me, therefore, turn the clock back to discuss the 2017 election once again, as it becomes more evident that very few people had a clear picture of what was going on. I say that because it was a snap election, with little time for people to be presented with the facts. So in this case, I am simply going to stick to what I can verify from per- sonal experience, speaking as a former candidate of Partit Demokratiku and as a founding member. The first misconception seems to be that Partit Demokratiku 'used' the Partit Nazzjonalista to get seats in Parliament. On the contrary, the many months of discussions over a coalition were not straightforward at all. There were many in Partit Demokratiku who did not even want a coalition at all, out of fear of our nascent party losing its identity. In the end, what united us with the Partit Naz- zjonalista was a common platform in favour of good governance, social justice and the environment, all against tribal- ism, besides other considerations. After all, what greater show can one make against tribalism than a coalition? While the marketing behind the campaign was flawed, the joint manifesto was lengthy and had too many proposals, not too few. We had a common goal and a com- mon vision. Unfortunately, the people whom we shared that dream with have been replaced by a new leader who has attacked the environment whenever he can get away with it. Another misconception is that Partit Demokratiku should not have entered into a coalition because the Partit Nazz- jonalista was not a credible party to fight alongside against corruption. To a cer- tain extent, that is correct, in the sense that Partit Nazzjonalista sowed the seeds for many problems which have grown to fruition today, such as the 2006 Ration- alisation exercise. The difference is that Partit Demokratiku was entering into a coalition with a leadership team which had never been in power before and did not carry the same level of blame for such past errors. We also believed we would be a check and balance on such a government, and the watchdog in Parliament. In fact, though Partit Demokratiku was not given the chance to be a check and bal- ance in an administration, we nonethe- less are now acting as the watchdog in Parliament, critical of the misdeeds of both major parties. It was what we were elected to do. The easy path for our MPs to take would have been to say noth- ing and remain part of the ruling party with all of the goodies it provides. The second easiest path would have been to cross the floor and join the Partit Naz- zjonalista. Instead they have chosen the most difficult imaginable path, that of the Third Party, and as the watchdogs of Parliament. Yet another misconception is that Partit Demokratiku 'stole' seats. To say such a thing is to imply that the Partit Nazzjonalista has a divine right to its seats, and to people's votes. No politi- cal party in Malta owns anybody's vote. The only people who own their vote are the individuals. Individuals chose to vote for Partit Demokratiku, and it is these Partit Demokratiku voters who got us into Parliament. Let us not insult the intelligence of these voters or their independence. Furthermore, the 'extra' votes Marlene Farrugia brought to the coalition in District 5 allowed for the Partit Nazzjonalista to just barely elect a second MP there. The coalition fell apart not because Partit Demokratiku used the Partit Nazzjonalista or because we had no common platform to begin with. It was because the Partit Nazzjonalista had a change of leader, and since the election of Adrian Delia, the Partit Nazzjon- alista has suffered two internal 'civil wars' which have absolutely nothing to do with Partit Demokratiku. Unfortu- nately, however, Partit Demokratiku has become a most convenient scapegoat for Adrian Delia's administration and all of its problems. Still, as with the case of all scapegoats, attacking us will not address any of the real problems facing this country. Indeed, Partit Demokratiku will remain steadfast in calling out any wrongdoing wherever it may arise, be- cause it is our role to bridge the political divide and end tribalism. It is about time that people voted on the issues of the day, not on lifelong loyalties to parties which change over time. I long for the day that people place country above any political party, which to this day is why I choose to campaign beside the Farrugias, who continue to walk the walk. How we become the watchmen Timothy Alden Timothy Alden is Deputy Leader Partit Demokratiku