Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/756492
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2016 News Thursday TVM 20:50 Experts warn education reform could lead to 'ghettoisation' JURGEN BALZAN EDUCATIONAL expert Car- mel Borg has warned that the educational reform announced last week in which Form 2 stu- dents will choose additional subjects from three different paths: academic, vocational or applied learning, could result in the ghettoization of educa- tion. Borg, a University of Malta associate professor in the fac- ulty of education, said that while acknowledging the dis- course of diversity-in-learning that informs the 'My Journey' reform, "I cannot help but no- tice that local policy makers continue to ignore research indicating that locally, social class correlates strongly with educational achievement, and that the strongest predictor of attainment in education is so- cio-economic status." He added that "ignoring such a scientific fact, and with no robust plan to address the challenges obtaining within the multiple contexts of edu- cational under- a c h i e v e m e n t , i n c l u d i n g o u t - o f - school re- alities, 'My Journey' may result in an- other un- i n t e n d e d process of ghettoisation on social-class lines." In comments to MaltaToday, Peter Mayo, a professor in the faculty of education, also ex- pressed caution and said that he sees nothing wrong with broadening the range of sub- ject choices offered in schools "provided that the curriculum is not a watered down version of that offered to other stu- dents coming from very well to do social backgrounds." Mayo added that "the em- phasis should be not simply on 'what' should be taught but es- pecially on 'how' things are be- ing taught. Access to this core knowledge is a right for all not just the few." The changes, which are set to come into force in three years' time at Form 3 level are aimed at bridging the gap between academic and vocational edu- cation. Each of the three paths in the 'My Journey' reform will lead up to an MQF level 3 or O'level standard. Currently, only the academic path leads to this level of c e r t i f i c a - tion. But Borg b e l i e v e s that the re- form could be counter- p r o d u c t i v e . He said that failure to address the social- class component of education- al under-achievement through an inter-ministerial approach that includes appropriate edu- cational, economic and social policies and family-centred, community-oriented actions, applied subjects may eventu- ally be structurally populated by working-class students. "Such a scenario will not only add another layer of streaming to the education system but will also reinforce the low-sta- tus of vocational subjects, since such subjects will continue to be seen as a consolation prize rather than a differentiated al- beit equal choice," he said. "If my informed prediction materialises, millions of Euros down 'My Journey' the educa- tion provision will continue to be as classist as ever, a far cry from a social-justice interpre- tation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 4 which promotes equitable and life- long access to quality educa- tion for all," he added. On a different note, Borg said that curricula that continue to privilege coverage of content over discovery, problem-solv- ing, critical thinking, creative production of knowledge and risk-taking are, in his view, "obsolete and irrelevant." "Unless the local curriculo- pedagogical dinosaur is chal- lenged, the vocational di- mension of 'My Journey' will possibly serve as a partial re- prieve from oppressive practic- es in education. Again, a forced choice of subjects rather than free and equitable access to a set of equally-viable curricular alternatives. While acknowl- edging that the 'My Journey' reform is a well-intentioned project aimed at normalising vocational education at second- ary level and at addressing the one-size-fits-all ap- proach to education, Borg said the reform may fail to transform the system and "may not bring the much needed par- adigm shift in how most stu- dents interact with knowledge and, once again, may continue masking the serious problem of selective, educational under- achievement in Malta." Core knowledge Borg added that distinguish- ing between academic and applied subjects in terms of knowledge production is a f lawed vision for education. "Irrespective of the educa- tional context, knowledge production is about students interacting with and interven- ing in the world as active agents rather than passive recipients of information. Positioning certain subjects as applied and others as academic reinforces the theory-practice divide, ig- nores the fact that there is a huge cohort of academically- inclined students who process knowledge pre dom i n a nt l y through con- crete/appl ied ex p er ience s , and may de- rail attempts to render the ' a c a d e m i c ' s u b j e c t s more rele- vant through pedagogies of difference and engagement," Borg said. On his part, Mayo said the emphasis on core subjects indicates that these subjects represent 'pow- erful knowl- edge', "in s h o r t t h at knowledge that has overcome the test of time regarding its being the key to access to power in Maltese society and abroad." "I trust the people involved in this reform are guarding against the dangers of too much hybridization to the det- riment of an in-depth study of certain subjects. I am sure they are aware of the fact that too much hybridization can deny access to the kind of knowl- edge that 'really matters' in the real world. I would suggest that the two main languages, a foreign language, basic sci- entific knowledge, Maths and ICT would feature among this 'powerful ' knowledge." The key to a thorough re- form, Mayo said, is special in- vestment in the way this core knowledge is taught to reach different students of different social backgrounds – initially relating this knowledge to as- pects of their own cul- ture but going beyond to lead students to higher order think- ing, including higher order criti- cal thinking. "The latter stage is one where the students are encouraged to critically en- gage with this knowledge." Carmel Borg Peter Mayo