Exams show teens have been fed negative stereotypes of migrants

Candidates sitting for the Social Studies ‘O’ level test have tended to dwell more on the negative aspects of immigration, than on more positive aspects, a MATSEC report reveals. 

Students were in fact more likely to refer to the challenges posed by multiculturalism to social stability, and to the financial burden on the State due to the increased expense on education, social services, health and housing accommodation, 

The problem of unemployment, due to the increased number of immigrants taking up gainful occupation, was also a recurring theme in most of the essays dealing with this theme. 

On the other hand, candidates were more prepared when they were asked to mention measures aimed at integrating migrants in Maltese society. But instead of focusing on how migrants in Malta can be more effectively integrated in Maltese society, some candidates spoke exclusively about what immigrants should do themselves in order to integrate. 

“Suggestions included learning the Maltese language, attending Maltese cultural activities such as feasts, not committing crime, finding work, speaking to the Maltese, converting to Christianity.”  

According to the examiners these replies suggest that a number of candidates are keener on assimilation than on integration. 

Moreover candidates only mentioned immigrants coming by boat or refugees, ignoring completely those immigrants who enter the country through other means. 

When asked to explain measures aimed at promoting legal migration, the answers given “were very amateurish, ranging from organising easier travelling, reducing flight fares and the cost of passports and creating work opportunities”. 

Measures such as stricter border controls, creating legitimate migration routes, attacking the roots of poverty in originating countries, and stemming migrant smuggling and human trafficking were not mentioned at all. Some candidates even replied by proposing measures to punish migrants through strict detention policies rather than promoting legal migration.

Culture and human rights

Migration was not the only problematic aspect in this year’s exam.

When asked to state what has influenced our culture to become more global, many decided to dwell upon how Malta has “exported” its image by spreading knowledge of the Maltese language, local food, drinks and political polarisation. 

Just a few referred to the availability of international brands, the presence of international food chains, different ethnic groups, the influence of the Internet and social media, on-line trading and purchasing and Malta’s integration within the EU. 

It also appears that many candidates do not know what cultural diversity implies. Answers were often vague, and restricted to just one word, such as “fashion”, “religion”, and “food”. Some equated diversity with multiculturalism.

When asked for an example of subculture in Maltese society, most candidates gave “acceptable” examples: mostly Islamic or other religious groups, bikers and punks. But some gave wrong examples including environmental NGOs, local traditional trades and pastimes.

Many candidates were unable to give a clear definition of human rights. For most of the candidates, the term simply implies the rights that a person is entitled to from birth. Reference to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights was scarce. 

Only a small number of the examination candidates indicated that the term intolerance implies the lack or refusal to accept others because they are different. “Many candidates ventured on to provide very cryptic content in the process of defining this term”. 

The exam report notes very serious shortcomings in written expression (in both English and/or Maltese), “with a disquieting amount of candidates demonstrating poor syntax and grammatical skills; struggling to make coherent sentences and to develop lines of argumentation logically”. 

Candidates often generalized from their own personal experience and referred to common sense assumptions rather than to arguments based on social research.

According to the report candidates either do not give the subject enough importance and attention or else the subject “is beyond their level of assimilation”. 

This may be symptomatic of the popular mentality of approaching Social Studies as a “soft option” without the need of preparation and training in the knowledge, skills and core values of the subject.

A total of 892 students sat for this exam, a quarter of whom failed. Only 2.5% got a Grade 1 while 60% got a pass.