Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/604914
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2015 13 TIM DIACONO THE vast majority of teachers are in favour of introducing vocational education and training (VET) in secondary schools, a new survey has shown. The survey – conducted by the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) among 254 teachers – indicates that 88.07% of teachers are in favour of introducing VET, while 70% do not consider it to be a "soft" educational alternative. Reasons given for approval include VET being more attractive to "stu- dents who are doers", with VET of- fering a "hands on and experiential learning education". Five vocational educational sub- jects – agribusiness, health and social care, engineering technology hospi- tality, and IT – were introduced into the curriculum last year in a pilot project among 93 Form 3 students across eight state schools. As from the current scholastic year, VET courses are now of- fered by all state schools, as well as by some church and independent schools, starting from Form 3. In to- tal, there are currently 766 VET sec- ondary school students – including the final cohort of BTEC students who are now in Form 5. The matriculation education sys- tem's (MATSEC) principal officer Gilbert Zahra, told MaltaToday that the pilot project was a resounding success, empowering teachers and engaging students who had felt disil- lusioned with other classes. "Some of these students, such as those in agribusiness, even voluntar- ily went to school on Saturdays to check up on their course work," he said. Addressing a teachers' confer- ence, MUT president Kevin Bonello said that VET subjects should be spread across all state schools, with students being allowed to attend schools of their choice if the ones in their locality do not offer the course they desire. "It is virtually impossible for every school to offer every vocational sub- ject, so why shouldn't students be allowed to attend schools that aren't situated in their locality," he ques- tioned. "Flexibility in the system is crucial if we want vocational educa- tion to be successful." He also called on the government to invest further in upgrading equip- ment at the University and MCAST, and to ensure that the course mate- rial delivered to MCAST students is as high in quality as that of their University counterparts. Education minister Evarist Bartolo called for a radical education shift, warning that the current system is one "designed so as to condition children to be obedient, and to or- ganise themselves in an almost mili- tary manner." "Rapid global changes in society and technology have rendered that system obsolete, and indeed many youth believe that they learn more outside school doors than within them." He said that VET should not sim- ply teach students skills such as car- pentry and welding as in the trade schools of old, but also values that would render them more employ- able. "Employers often tell me that while they have no problem finding work- ers with the right physical skills for the job, they have difficulty finding employees capable of showing initi- ative, cooperating with other people, and displaying values of honesty and integrity," he said. "We have long as- sumed that children pick up these values from family and civil society, but schools also have a role to play in this regard." Shadow education minister Therese Comodini Cachia on her part supported the introduction of vocational education, but insisted that students be told clearly what sort of jobs these courses will lead to. "We must be honest with our stu- dents, and if certain courses don't lead to them graduating with a war- rant, then we must tell them from the start." News News For trade enquiries phone 2138 2741 INGA BOISSEVAIN'S NOVEL AT ALL LEADING STATIONERS Vast majority of teachers want vocational education in schools AD wants all new cars to be electric by 2030 ALL new private cars sold in Malta should be electric by 2030 and a light rail system should be constructed across the major road arteries in Malta, green party Al- ternattiva Demokratika has pro- posed. AD transport spokesperson Ralph Cassar said buses should be converted into electric or alter- native fuel vehicles, and that the government should invest heavily in bicycle highways connecting localities in Malta and Gozo. "We are proposing a radical overhaul of our mobility patterns, which till today are based on fos- sil fuels and weak infrastructure," Cassar said. "Malta has more cars per capita than the USA, 802 per thousand people compared to 786 per thousand, and the lack of road safety is discouraging people from using alternative means of trans- port." AD delivered their proposals ahead of a UN climate change summit that will be held in Paris next week. AD chairperson Ar- nold Cassola said that the deadly Paris attacks of 13 November has made the summit even more relevant. "Terrorists would have wanted to instil so much fear as to have these negotiations dis- rupted, which makes it even more important for things to go on as planned," he said. Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello