Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, in a statement today, insists that “with the introduction of different forms of streaming, such as banding, in state primary schools, the government is contradicting itself and is putting the clock back to where where we were years ago.”
Mario Mallia, AD’s spokesperson for Education, described the introduction of banding “as in contradiction to its own strategy for the next ten years in education put up for consultation. Research has shown that segregation of children, particularly at a young age, leads to labels for life; children in particular streams remain in the same streams throughout their educational experience.”
He added, “this condemns a substantial number of children especially those from particular socio-economic groups and substantially limits their life chances. This in itself contradicts government’s strategy document that aims to reduce the wide gap that exists between educational attainment of particular groups of students over others.”
Mallia also argued that “the introduction of selection on the basis of standardised exams in primary schools will make primary education once again hostage to undue pressure and stress on children, teachers and parents. The recent past has shown that this will elbow out spaces for creativity, the arts and physical education among other areas. It seems that there were no lessons learnt.”
Arnold Cassola, AD chairperson, insisted that “the government cannot look forward by going backward. Government cannot dismiss the fact that it was a selective system which the country had embraced for ages that led to the national results in the international studies that are being quoted.”
Cassola pointed out that the education reform launched some years ago that did away with streaming should have been given more chance to work through further refinement. “Government should have afforded more space for creative solutions in different schools together with better conditions for an inclusive education to be strengthened.”
Cassola concluded that “panic and going for the easy solutions, such as banding, do little to bring about a more inclusive education and ultimately the well being of our children.”