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If mothers want to be able to work, schools have to keep the kids in for longer. JAMES DEBONO speaks to the supporters of the “wraparound care” model.
“I have to leave work everyday at 2:15pm, leave my two kids at home to return back to work in a rush to continue working till 4:30pm.”
Adriana Farrugia, a mother of two, is like many working mothers constantly juggling their work commitments with their kids’ holidays, school hours and extra curricular activities. Adriana thinks that schools should extend their hours to 4:30 pm.
Her opinions are shared by Sina Bugeja, chairman of the Equality Commission. Also in agreement are the Malta Employers Association and the Malta Union of Teachers, the latter cautiously acknowledging, despite some misgivings, that the times are changing.
Malta currently lags behind all the other 24 EU member states in female participation in the labour market. Female employment stands at a low 33.6 per cent, when countries like Sweden and Denmark have a participation rate of over 70 per cent.
“If we are really serious in facilitating the entry of young couples, particularly women in the labour market, we need adequate structures like extended school hours,” Sina Bugeja says. “Working couples can no longer rely on their parents, especially in the light of the increase in the retirement age. As more women join the labour market, the number of working grandmas working till 65 is bound to increase.”
Bugeja also warns of the negative impact of leaving children alone at home till both parents come back from school. “It is better to have children looked after by professional carers than to leave them alone at home.”
But an extension of school hours does not necessarily entail more academic pressures on students as the extra school hours could be dedicated to play, fun and artistic pursuits. By extending school hours Malta will be following the lead of other European countries.
In the UK, “wraparound care” from 8am to 6pm will be provided in all primary and secondary schools by 2010. Around 2,500 schools in the UK are already providing this service.
In Denmark, after-school activities take place in areas separate from the school. The staff are not drawn from the teaching staff so the atmosphere and relationships are clearly different and more relaxed. In addition, it is customary for 70 per cent of the staff to have a degree in pedagogy.
Sina Bugeja agrees with this model, arguing that instead of extending the working times of teachers this model would create more employment opportunities for professional child-carers.
But expecting Maltese teachers to extend their working hours is not realistic according to John Bencini, president of the Malta Union of Teachers. “80 per cent of new teachers are women who generally opt for this profession because they consider it as the best way to reconcile work and family responsibilities.”
Still, Bencini is wary of having non-professional staff taking care of children after school hours. Despite his misgivings, Bencini is willing to consider the opening of a number of schools with extended school hours.
“In Italy, one finds a school with extended hours in each region. Some teachers could opt to work for longer hours in the afternoon in return for more flexible hours in the morning.”
But Bencini also raises the question on how the new system will be financed.
“Will parents be ready to pay for the extra expenses involved or are they expecting a free lunch?” asks Bencini.
While the teaching profession is cautiously warming up to the idea, employers in the private sector are enthusiastic in their support for this reform. “The opening and closing times of our schools are simply not convenient to parents with young children and this a factor that contributes to the low female participation in the labour market,” director Joe Farrugia says.
“The introduction of regional colleges or clusters by the government could pave the way for the reform in school hours since different schools within a college can specialise in different extra curricular activities. Such activities can focus on areas that are neglected during normal school hours because of time constraints, such as art, drama, and sports.”
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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