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Karl Schembri
Vandalised playing fields, unsafe swings and drug abuse in children’s areas are among the main problems plaguing kids and their parents faced with no alternatives where to send their children to play.
Official statistics give a bleak and stifling picture that is affecting not only children’s lifestyles but also the adults’ recreational possibilities. According to MEPA, there are only 2.4 metres squared of recreational space per person in Malta, roughly the size of a double bed, although the majority of localities have even less.
Fgura, for example, is practically all built up leaving a mere 0.1 metres squared of recreational space per person. A total 47 out of 68 local councils, or 69 per cent, do not reach the existing national average.
Probably worse, however, is the fact that areas designated as children’s playing fields are turning out to be badly planned, unsafe and unprotected from suspicious adults, while other areas meant to be turned into play areas or public gardens are ending up being used for something else, mainly garages, housing, offices and commercial purposes.
In Munxar, Gozo, for example, a playing field meant to be opened there ended up given by the mayor to a private farmer, leaving children with only half the original area and plans that are being resisted by Munxar residents and Children’s Commissioner Sonia Camilleri, who is insisting that the council sticks to its original plans. A public garden meant to be opened in Safi will now be used for terraced houses.
And two months ago, a toddler was seriously injured at the San Gwann playing field when he fell off an unsafe roundabout, with his head mangled between heavy iron rods in a potentially fatal accident, exposing the utterly unsafe swings installed as EU safety guidelines remain totally alien here.
Camilleri is taking up the problem of children’s play areas as one of her priorities, launching a survey about playing fields in all localities and consulting children about their recreational spaces.
Last week, she coordinated children from seven localities in their reporting about the available playing fields in their areas, and a questionnaire has been sent to all mayors seeking information about the recreational spaces in their localities.
“Children have reported back a series of shortcomings in their playing fields, most notably vandalism, a lot of rubbish in the weekends and no accessibility for children on wheelchairs,” Camilleri said.
Another issue of concern for Camilleri is the restrictive use of playing fields for children’s recreation, where they are not allowed to play football or to use their bicycles, and they are expected to behave almost as if in a classroom.
“Playing fields are not really appropriate to play football but what you restrict them from doing in such areas, you have to let them do elsewhere, and we have a real problem of space,” she said. “I know for example that every Sunday there are around 2,000 children attending MUSEUM whose mentors have nowhere to take them.”
Specially-designated areas for children tend to become boring after a while as children prefer a more chaotic environment where they could liberate their creativity as opposed to the clinically-planned and sanitised playgrounds.
Vicky Bugeja, a social worker who works with children residing in Church homes and who will be launching a campaign with NGOs for children’s rights in the coming weeks, says children are being discriminated against when it comes to safe access to playing fields.
“Are Cospicua children less valuable than, say, children living in Sliema? Don’t they have the same right to play and to have open spaces? Local councils should be planning and catering for all this in a serious manner, with playing fields that are up to EU standards,” Bugeja said, who proposes opening up more schools after hours and in weekends for their play grounds to be used by local residents and sending safety wardens in playing fields to make sure children are in a safe environment.
In the meantime, for middle class families it seems that technology and sophisticated toys are providing a partial solution, although this excludes physical exercise and healthy play with other children. Surveys conducted by the Health Promotion Department show that children spend up to six hours a day watching television and playing computer games.
kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt
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