Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/329964
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 JUNE 2014 23 Evarist Bartolo Opinion Young people call for involvement in decision making T oday's youngsters believe in a quality of life. They believe that we could all contribute towards this goal. It is most encouraging that junior citizens feel and act like adults, especially when it comes to their participation in society. They themselves believe that while they still have a lot to learn from adults, grown- ups should also accept the fact that there is much to learn from today's youth. This was one of the salient points in a declaration that youngsters themselves made during a summit of EkoSkola earlier this year. EkoSkola is not just about the environment and the awareness thereof. The points raised by these youngsters highlight the importance of this exercise, which gives students the opportunity to develop citizenship skills. Late last month, 76 students from 38 schools in Malta and Gozo were the focus of a full parliamentary sitting during which they presented a declaration of the principal points that were decided upon during their end of March summit. At the beginning of the sitting, they presented a motion before the House calling for Members of Parliament to take heed of the issues and topics that they had discussed. I was proud to be able to see, first-hand, how very forward these school children were in airing their concerns. There was an old saying that "children should be seen but not heard". This is medieval and it definitely no longer applies. It is in fact the complete opposite and the contribution of these students at the parliamentary sitting bears witness to the importance of hearing out the concerns of our younger generation and of taking the necessary measures to ensure their full participation in society. Very often, we Parliamentarians, teachers, parents and adults in general, believe that we have a monopoly on setting the rules. But today's youth has an important part to play in drawing up these rules. During this session they raised several topics which included education, democracy and the environment. They rightly feel that they should be involved in decision making processes and that participation in society should start at an early age. The students spoke about inclusion in its various types, about their involvement in class and in family life and about the contribution that they feel they can make to community life and in their respective local council. The workload, of both parents and children, has become strenuous and it is being felt that this has an impingement on family life. This is a serious concern to children, who are feeling insecure about a future family life and about the resultant responsibilities. Students acknowledge the fact that school provides a family atmosphere and as such they spoke about the concerns related to bullying and racism. They welcomed organised extra curricular activities and they made it clear that they relished participation in the organisation of 'special' days and events. EkoSkola children spoke at length about the environment. They dwelt on serious topics such as waste management, energy saving, alternative energy and the students encouraged the government to support and create initiatives for families on overall energy management. On recycling, they put forward a number of recommendations and encouraged an increase for bring-in sites. Students also researched the problems related to water resources and proposed a review and an increase in water catchment areas. They also recommended an increase in fines and penalties for those who fall foul of the law in this respect. Obviously, we all want the best for our children. We want them to be better and we work hard to ensure that they get a better education that will help them in future life. We strive to give them an improved quality of life but sometimes, we tend to overlook the obvious. There are instances where we need prodding and by listening to our youngsters we are in a better position to tackle tomorrow's problems today. This dialogue is most important. It is an extension of the 'open door' policy and we should encourage similar occasions that will surely contribute to a meaningful improvement in the quality of life for future Maltese generations. Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education tourism zones, and programmes need to be intensive, pre-planned and supported by appropriate resources. Cleaning is a hugely important aspect within tourism zones and so is waste collection. The large volume of users requires an accelerated programme of cleaning and waste collection that sufficiently meets the increased demand, especially in the summer months. This is an area which is being given special attention at present. An investment of €1.5 million has been allocated to this end as from this month. A concerted effort is required to improve environmental standards at all levels. Safety standards must also be put in place, especially with regard to services and facilities provided within these tourism zones. I want to improve accessibility to these highly visited areas, be it vehicular or pedestrian. Likewise, accessibility for those with special needs deserves more attention. Another area of concern is noise and dust pollution by construction activity within these zones as this is a common complaint made by tourists. This requires better management of construction sites and more effective enforcement of regulations. Tourists would also like to see more tourism information offices, and a common complaint we receive is about the need for more and improved public conveniences. These issues, and others, represent a tall order, but I am determined to address them to enhance the visitors' experience and add to the appeal of tourism zones, be it for international visitors or locals. The effectiveness and success of this committee will, to a large extent, depend on two main factors. These are sufficient delegation of powers for effective execution of planned action; and the adequate allocation of resources. In order to facilitate better management of all tourism zones, some of the existing regulations may also need to be revised, followed by effective enforcement. As recently announced, we are also working on the introduction of a specifically trained tourism police unit, which will help to instill more order in highly visited and entertainment areas such as Paceville. With the number of inbound tourists around 1.6 million last year, these efforts will not only help to improve the experience of visitors to these popular areas, but will also support and ease the pressures experienced by the respective local councils which are affected by the large inf lux of visitors. There is a lot to be done. The government, together with the support of stakeholders, has taken the lead to improve the quality of the tourist product and service. In this market we can reach the optimum equilibrium between the record quantities and quality. Both are vital. This is the way forward. Better tourism for the benefit of all. Edward Zammit Lewis is Minister for Tourism housing for them to start an adult independent life, keep on utilising this benefit when they have moved on and can afford to pay for their housing without the need of any state help. When someone gets a subsidised level of rent for a housing unit because of his or her financial situations, the subsidy is for life, and survives even when the financial situation of the recipient has changed to the extent that the benefit is no longer merited. Housing subsidies are for life and not for a limited period, until 'beneficiaries can stand on their own feet and do not remain dependant on benefits' - as the Minister of Finance put it. This is what is patently wrong with our system. Subsidies on rent should elapse after a predetermined period of, say, 10 years, after which the rent charges would automatically revert to an unsubsidised rate. The state would have given the beneficiary a much-needed temporary advantage during a critical stage in life, and not one that lasts for life. Is the present administration courageous enough to embark on such a reform, in line with the principles enunciated by the Minister of Finance himself? I doubt it. I seriously doubt it. I rather think that as long as the supply of subsidised housing will remain free, demand will remain infinite and the list of applicants for social housing will never dwindle. Plus ça change, plus c'est même chose! Michael Falzon is a former Nationalist infrastructure minister (micfal@maltanet.net)