Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1508472
EDUCATORS returned to their classrooms this week to welcome thousands of students after the summer break. The State sector alone employs almost 8,000 educators for 35,000 students from kin- dergarten to secondary school. More are em- ployed with Church and private schools. But as the summer lull subsides, teachers, LSEs, KGEs and school administrators will get back to being educators, social workers and punching bags for the frustrations stu- dents carry with them from home. Being an educator has never been an easy job and it has been made more complex with the expectations that society has of them when dealing with children. Educators are expected to teach academic subjects; understand children and encour- age them to work to the best of their abili- ties; adapt to the different learning needs of students; be attentive to children's emotional and behavioural attitudes; deal with uncoop- erative or over exigent parents and problem- atic students; motivate students and listen to them. To top it all up educators enter their class- rooms having to handle a fresh round of edu- cational reforms with all the uncertainty this brings about. Indeed, many educators speak of reform fatigue following two decades of constant change that have left very little time for evaluation. Many times, these reforms are drafted by bureaucrats and academics that no longer have a connection with the ev- er-changing realities of the classroom, caus- ing frustration among educators and school administrators. The current administration has promised the new education strategy will be drafted from the bottom up and several consultation meetings have already been held at grass roots level. Hopefully, the outcome will be a better reflection of today's realities and expectations with all the necessary ancillary resources be- ing made available to help educators imple- ment change. Within this context, the collective agree- ment that is being discussed should deliver a boost in morale. Greater respect and appreci- ation must be shown towards educators at a time when much more than teaching of sub- jects is expected of them. The call for respect towards teachers is also directed at parents and children's guardians, who through their actions or words can erode the trust educa- tors should enjoy. Implementing support measures and creat- ing better work conditions are important and the educational authorities have to ensure these are delivered. But the truth of the matter is that what counts most is the compensation educators receive for their work. It is through better compensation that values such as re- spect are reflected in a concrete way. It is crucial that in line with pledges made during the election last year, the monthly pay packet and allowances of educators are im- proved substantially. Five years ago, when the current collective agreement was negotiated, many educators were left with a sour taste in their mouth since what had been promised did not materialise as expected. That mistake should be avoided this time around. Educators are a crucial cog in the social and economic tapestry of any country and their work should be valued accordingly, including monetarily. Government may have the temptation to keep a tight hold on the screws given the EU's pressure on governments to control spending and reduce deficits. But it would be a mistake if collective agreement talks get bogged down because of stinginess. While the government has the duty to safeguard its overall financial situation, it has no other option but to offer educators higher wages. If anything, the screws should be tightened on discretionary spending such as persons of trust and jobs that are invented for people close to power. Educators deserve better compensation and adequate support to carry out their complex job. At the start of the new scholastic year, ed- ucators would like to hear that collective agreement talks will soon come to a close and their financial predicament in the coming 12 months and beyond is better than yesterday's. Valuing educators through better compensation 11 EDITORIAL maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: KURT SANSONE EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 SEPTEMBER 2023 mother; and secondly, for ap- pearing 'weak' and 'indecisive', by capitulating to public pres- sure (for the umpteenth time). And yet, fast-forward two months... and all that Labour Party grassroots anger, previous- ly aimed at Abela, seems to have spectacularly 'boomeranged', without any of us noticing. Suddenly, it's all the Labour Party's fault, not Abela's (even if, paradoxically, the rest of the par- ty had actually forced their lead- er to 'see sense', in the end...). The same, of course, goes for all the other issues as well. If we argue (as some people do) that 'genuine Labourites' are unhap- py with the social/economic di- rection chosen by the Labour government, over the past 10-or- so years – its total capitulation to the centre-right 'free market' model, for instance; or the sleaze in which certain Labour 'bazuzli' always get their own way (often trampling over entire towns, and communities, in the process)... ... well, how can any of that be divorced from the actions, and decisions, taken by Robert Abela as Prime Minister? How, for in- stance, can anyone be 'pissed off' at the sheer amount of constuc- tion that's going on, right now (especially, in Gozo)... but not equally annoyed by the fact that Abela had openly courted Mal- ta's (and especially Gozo's) con- struction-&-development mag- nates, before March 2022; and was even the 'guest of honour', at an election-eve dinner hosted by none other than Joseph Portelli? And there are other issues, too. The garbage crisis, for instance. How can people be irked by the ever-accumulating mountains of trash, on every street-cor- ner in their neighbourhood... and yet somehow fail to point any fingers of blame, at a Prime Minister who actually chose to 'downscale' Malta's entire gar- bage-collection schedule (from three collections a week, to only two)... and even plans to down- scale it further, next year?! See what I mean? It doesn't add up. Or at least, it wouldn't: if any of those issues really were to blame, for the Labour Party's abrupt electoral nose-dive. This leaves us – and especial- ly, Robert Abela – with what is perhaps the most uncomforta- ble possibility, of the lot. For if the party leader himself is not the reason for all this 'disgrun- tlement', currently directed at Labour by its own supporters... then by definition, the true cause can only be something that is en- tirely outside Robert Abela's own powers – not just as party-lead- er; but even as Prime Minister - to actually amend. As such, he can continue to be as 'popular' as he likes, in sur- vey, after survey, after survey... but what these latest polls also reveal, is that Robert Abela can't carry on expecting the 'Gonz- iPN' strategy to simply win La- bour the 2027 election, on its own: like it had done for him in 2022, and for Gonzi in 2008. Simply put: he is going to have to address the root cause of all this anger, sooner or later (and it is debatable – to say the least – whether he even can...).