Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547581
THE real test of an education budget comes after the parliamen- tary debate has ended, when its promises reach the classroom. It comes when a teacher needs ad- ditional support, when a student struggles to keep pace, or when a family weighs the cost of further study. That is where the 2027 ed- ucation estimates must make their difference. Through my intervention in par- liament last week, I supported the €1.3 billion allocation because it provides resources to strengthen education at several levels, how- ever, the scale of expenditure also brings responsibility. We should be ambitious about what this in- vestment achieves, connecting financial commitments to the quality of teaching, the experience of students and the opportunities available when they leave educa- tion. The OECD's Education at a Glance 2025 reports that, across more than 30 OECD and partner countries, only 43% of new en- trants to bachelor's programmes graduate within the expected du- ration, while the proportion rises to 70% after three additional years. These figures concern completion within specified periods, and they should not be read as dropout rates. These are international findings, rather than Maltese figures, but they offer a useful lesson; enrolling students is one stage of a longer undertaking. We need to con- sider what helps them maintain momentum and offer clear course information, effective career guid- ance, sound preparation and time- ly assistance. All the mentioned practises can assist young people navigate difficulties before those difficulties begin to determine their educational choices. The financial measures outlined in the 2027 budget contribute to that effort with stipend increas- es equivalent to the cost of living adjustment, their extension to maritime students and aspiring pilots, and annual assistance of €500 for families of students con- tinuing postsecondary education. Measures of this sort help create conditions in which educational decisions can give greater weight to ambition and ability. The same applies to free child- care for eligible families, the Break- fast Club, free school transport for all and free examinations. Their value lies in how they fit into the everyday life of a family managing work schedules, having caring re- sponsibilities and with household bills to pay. Removing obstacles to education gives parents and stu- dents more room to concentrate on learning and planning, leading to a better quality of life. Inside the classroom, progress depends heavily on educators. My own experience as a student and my time working in a classroom have shown me how much rests on their judgement. Recognising confusion, adapting an explana- tion and rebuilding a learner's confidence require skill and at- tention and educators need con- ditions that allow them to exercise that judgement effectively, along- side opportunities to develop their practice. That is why fair working condi- tions, professional development and classroom support must re- main central to investment, as does listening to those implement- ing policy each day. We should give educators time to collaborate, share approaches and identify what works for different learners. Training for learning support educators recruited from 2027 should strengthen the support available to students with different needs. Additional professionals, stronger assessments and rapid psychosocial assistance must work together. Families also have an essential contribution to make as their understanding of a child can help schools provide support that is appropriate, consistent and re- sponsive. Quiet spaces and headphones that reduce noise can enable par- ticipation for neurodivergent stu- dents. The question should always be how each improvement helps students engage, learn and be- come more independent. Buildings and equipment should serve the educational goals. The investment in schools in Qormi, Naxxar and Gozo, is important because it supports better learning environments. But we must apply equal care to preparation for technological change because our students need to understand artificial intelli- gence while developing literacy, numeracy and critical judgement skills. Projects, experiments and discussion can connect knowledge with practical problems. Coopera- tion between schools, MCAST, the university and workplaces should broaden understanding while pre- serving education's wider purpose, that of developing thoughtful, ca- pable and responsible people. The 2027 estimates give us an opportunity to bring these pri- orities together. It is our re- sponsibility to ensure students are progressing, educators are supported and families can ob- tain help when needed. The strongest argument for educa- tion spending will ultimately be found in what people can learn, achieve and contribute because of it. 11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 NOVEMBER 2026 OPINION From budget promises to classroom progress Mariah Meli Labour MP I am Jane Doe Raylene Abdilla Moviment Graffitti activist EVERY time news breaks of an- other woman's life violently cut short, as we witnessed recently when a mother was killed by her own son, the public script fol- lows a predictable, hypocritical pattern. We hear expressions of shock, empty condolences from politicians, and recycled promis- es that "lessons will be learned". Yet, as the headlines fade, the reality for women in Malta re- mains unchanged—they contin- ue to be subjected to a continu- um of violence that strips them of their dignity, safety, and ulti- mately, their lives. When we talk about violence against women, public discourse often focuses solely on its most extreme outcome—femicide. But femicide does not happen in a vacuum. It is the lethal climax of a pyramid of abuse that begins long before physical violence occurs. It feeds on emotional terrorism, psychological manip- ulation, financial control, and coercive behaviour that forces women to live in constant fear within their own homes. This behaviour is nurtured by a socie- ty that still harbours deep-seated patriarchal values, where male dominance, ownership, and en- titlement over women's lives are tolerated, minimised, or dis- missed as private family matters. It is an insult to victims and their families to continue fram- ing these deaths as "isolated tragedies". Women in Malta are not only being abused and killed by partners, ex-partners, or family members; they are being systematically betrayed by the state apparatus meant to protect them. How can we claim to have a functioning justice system when domestic violence reports sit on shelves for months while risk assessments fail to prevent murder? How can we speak of justice when court cases drag on for a decade as in the case of Eleanor Mangion, whose family is left hanging banners outside parliament demanding progress 10 years after her murder? What message does it send when per- petrators, like the killer of Chan- telle Chetcuti, walk free, travel, and build new lives while vic- tims' families are left to process grief amidst institutional inac- tion? The long, agonising list of women killed in Malta over the decades—mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers—is not just a record of individual loss. It is a damning indictment of a sys- tem riddled with legal loopholes, structural delays, and a lack of political will to treat violence against women as the emergen- cy it is. We refuse to accept this real- ity any longer. We refuse to let women remain statistics, forgot- ten files, or nameless casualties of a broken system. This is why, under the banner Jiena Jane Doe, Moviment Graf- fitti is calling on the public to join us on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. We will gather on Wednesday, 25 November at 6pm in front of parliament. We are not meeting for empty speeches or political platitudes. We are gathering to take a sol- emn, collective stand against institutional negligence and pa- triarchal violence. We will give voice, presence, and visibility to every woman silenced by abuse and failed by the state. Violence against women, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, is a societal crisis. Demand accountability, demand justice, and stand with us to say, no more. The gathering will take place on 25 November at 6pm in Valletta, in front of parliament.