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MALTATODAY 7 July 2019

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8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 JULY 2019 NEWS Opening hours for Middle and Secondary School Libraries during the Aqra fis-Sajf 2019 Campaign Middle and secondary school libraries will open between the 15 th July and the 6 th September 2019 from 08:30 un l 12:30, as per table below. The borrowing of books is only available to students who a end these schools. However, a number of public libraries will also offer extended summer opening hours. For addi onal informa on visit the Malta Libraries website, www.maltalibraries.gov.mt For further informa on about the Aqra fis-Sajf campaign visit the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/aqrafissajf/ or call 2598 2992. School College Day Birkirkara Middle, Ta' Paris St Theresa Thursdays from 09:00 un l 13:00 Blata l-Bajda Middle St George Preca Mondays Dingli Secondary St Nicholas Wednesdays and Fridays Ħandaq Secondary St Igna us Mondays and Wednesdays Kirkop Middle St Benedict Mondays and Fridays Kirkop Secondary St Benedict Tuesdays and Thursdays Malta Visual and Performing Arts, Ħamrun St Thomas More Mondays and Thursdays Mosta Secondary Maria Reġina Tuesdays and Fridays Mrieħel Secondary St Theresa Mondays and Wednesdays Sacred Heart Senior School, St Julian's Sacred Heart Wednesdays and Thursdays Na onal Sport School, Pembroke St Clare Thursdays Naxxar Middle Maria Reġina Tuesdays and Thursdays Rabat Middle St Nicholas Mondays and Tuesdays Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Gozo Sacred Heart Tuesdays and Thursdays Santa Luċija Secondary St Thomas More Tuesdays St Aloysius Secondary, Birkirkara St Aloysius Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 un l 13:00 St Paul's Missionary College, Rabat St Paul's Missionary Mondays Verdala Secondary St Margaret Tuesdays Victoria Middle, Gozo Gozo Tuesdays and Thursdays Żejtun Secondary St Thomas More Wednesdays Żokrija Secondary Maria Reġina Wednesdays JAMES DEBONO JUST over 35% of parents and guardians participating in a questionnaire by the Educa- tion Ministry have said they send their 10-year-old, Year 6 children for private lessons, to prepare for the Benchmark exams at the end of primary school. The survey was based on 346 completed questionnaires distributed among parents at- tending meetings on the May 2018 session of the Bench- mark, as part of a review of the national end-of-primary assessment, conducted by a panel of experts chaired by Prof. Mark. G. Borg. The review now recom- mends phasing out the current Benchmark system – based on a national standardised exam – to be substituted by a sys- tem that gives more weight to a continuous school-based as- sessment. Another survey also found that 45% of the 106 teachers at Year 6, think the Benchmark exams were fuelling the de- mand for private lessons. 89% of parents whose chil- dren attended private lessons took lessons in Maths, fol- lowed by Maltese (83%), and English (79%). 77% said that their child attends 90 minutes or more of private lessons per week. Some of the Year 6 children participating in focus groups said they had to stop practis- ing their hobbies such as gym- nastics, athletics and football because they have to go to private lessons after school. Parents and guardians who participated in the question- naire were almost evenly divided between those who agreed that their children have little leisure time (42%), and those who disagreed that this is the case (46%). Year 6 children who par- ticipated in a focus group confirmed they have less free time on account of having more homework, private les- sons and more to study for the Benchmark. 54% of parents agree with the substitution of the Bench- mark exam with a system based on continuous assess- ments. Only 30% disagreed. But an indication that parents also see some value in the exam is that 59% feel that the Benchmark is a good indicator of the children's ability and of how much they learn and 61% think that the Benchmark is instrumental in motivating their children to pay attention in class and to study. Two other questionnaires were also distributed to all teachers at this level (216 Year 6 and 236 Form 1 teach- ers). Nearly half answered the questionnaire. 57% of the Year 6 teach- ers who replied consider the Benchmark a good standard of what children should know and understand at the end of the primary cycle. But only 37% think it is in- strumental in motivating chil- dren to pay attention in class and to study. 42% of teachers said it would be better to do away with the Benchmark altogether and have it replaced by a system of continuous assessment in which all the work done during the year is taken into consideration and is given weighting without the need for any form of exams. Only 25% disagreed with this idea while the rest replied that they were not sure. Moreover 61% think that in- stead of the Benchmark there should only be a school or college-based informal exam. Only 23% disagreed with this idea. Form 1 teachers were split when asked whether the Benchmark exam should be replaced by another system. 41% agree that it would be better to do away with the Benchmark altogether and have it replaced by a system of continuous assessment in which all the work done One year-olds private Children participating in focus groups expressed mixed feelings, feeling pressured by the exam while at the same time feeling the need of having their progress assessed JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority has officially regularised the Serengeti Animal Park in Triq Had-Dingli in Rabat, against a €10,000 fine. The permit now sanctions four large cages for the keep- ing of eight tigers, three jag- uars, three leopards and three lions over a 750sq.m footprint. The largest cage has a height of up to 6.4m. The PA's planning directo- rate was recommending a re- fusal due to objections made by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage on illegal works carried out on the walls of an ancient quarry, but the planning commission deemed these interventions to be "min- imal". The latest plans include the sanctioning of a "recently excavated" small dog shelter. The Environment and Re- sources Authority had also "strongly" objected, not- ing that most of the area was cleared from soil and replaced with hard landscaping. ERA had even presented aerial pho- tos documenting the extensive changes to the site made be- tween 1998 and 2018. The applicant is registered with the Veterinary Regula- tion Division as a "dangerous animal keeper" and the ani- mals are covered by veterinary permits. Serengeti zoo regularised against €10,000 fine

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