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opinion
Equal
opportunities in education
The
impact of absenteeism on children is severe, argues Labour MP Sandro
Schembri Adami
"It is not who you are…… it is whom you know",
runs an old proverb. To some extent, this is sadly true, and its
truth defies the whole purpose of education: that of giving us the
opportunity to build up a respected social and cultural background
that helps us to progress in society. Education is not something
that we have. Rather, it is something that becomes part and parcel
of us. It is a process of being and becoming, rather than of having
and knowing people. Education will be at a standstill when one can
lift his head up in social circles on the premise that he has certain
acquaintances, while others with a stronger educational environment
are unable to do so.
In today's society, education plays a greater role in the process
of enhancing one's career. Irrespective of one's family background,
his parents' occupations and similar factors, one can hope to attain
a qualitative education. This does not mean that inequalities in
education are non-existent, but at least, there is a possibility
of overcoming hurdles to attain better education.
Today we speak of education as being more accessible and widespread.
From an early age, children are sent to school, and, perhaps more
than before, they can progress further within the educational structure.
Moreover they are encouraged to pursue studying, and the openings
and opportunities for proper education are many. First of all, this
is because no modern society can survive without a sound educational
system, and secondly because most, if not all, jobs today require
that the worker has sufficient and adequate education. Therefore
education has a key role in determining who will progress and who
will not in tomorrow's society. And, therefore, to ensure that everyone
is given the same chance to progress, we must guarantee that education
is accessible to all, and that barriers to proper education are
eliminated.
The importance of education in our society carries with it a responsibility
that we all must share. One facet of the educational scene is the
alarming rate of absenteeism from school.
Several children, sometimes even due to pressure from their parents,
do not attend school for substantially long intervals; an occurrence
which hinders their education's progress. The impact of absenteeism
on these children is severe since it significantly limits their
opportunities for the future. More often than will look back in
nostalgia and blame themselves for the time they had lost. Any educational
policy should consequently hold the problem of absenteeism highly
on the agenda. Children who regularly abstain from school should
be monitored, and their parents duly informed. In cases where parents
are compliant in their children's absenteeism, legal action should
be immediately taken, especially if these children are abstaining
from school to work in the family business or the like. This is
because child labour is synonymous with absenteeism, and both are
severe abuses, which hinder the children's future.
Another issue associated with education, although of a different
nature, relates to gender. A recent article in a local newspaper
highlighted the fact that female students typically outperform males
in their studies by getting higher grades and by passing exams in
higher percentages. However, when it comes to the job scene, females
tend to disappear from advancing in their careers, thus leaving
opportunities for advancement to males. This means that useful resources,
which had proved themselves on academic grounds, are leaking out
of the job market at an early stage, causing a loss of useful resources.
An education policy should therefore adequately address this problem.
Scientific surveys can be carried out to analyse why females tend
to discontinue their career despite their capabilities.
A related issue is the gap between education and the work scene.
In a time where we are continuously stressing the importance of
life-long education, this gap is a threat since it undermines the
possibilities of improving work performance through better education.
However, it is a reality that some students who excel in their studies,
attaining high grades, fail to impress in the practicalities of
everyday work, while others who pass their exams unremarkably, prove
themselves to be highly practical and flexible at work. This is
perhaps due to what seems a rigid demarcation line between education
and work. Students are taught to study theory for long years at
academic institutes, such as university, without grasping any work
experience. Then they are instantly introduced to work, at which
point they are shocked by the immense discontinuity between theory
and practice. Certainly, the education process should allow more
for hands-on experience and opportunities at work places, during
the student years.
Another problem worth mentioning is the lack of matching between
demand and supply in certain areas of study. It is a known fact
that many students choose to specialise in traditional subjects
such as Maltese and Italian, but the teaching opportunities in these
subjects are no longer many. During the last few years we have become
aware of a new problem: that of unemployed graduates. It is surely
time to question if this problem is likely to spread its roots in
the coming years, and if yes, what is being done to tackle it successfully.
Truly, students are being informed at the point of choosing their
career subjects, of the limitations faced in selecting certain subjects.
However, certain trends in choosing particular subjects persist,
causing an excessive supply. Contrarily, some areas such as information
technology subjects never seem to become exhausted, causing an infinite
range of opportunities in these fields. Certainly, more information
on the opportunities and limitations should be given to students
in choosing their areas of study.
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