1,825 days to go

The period is regarded as a benchmark to measure performance to date, but it is also a time for mapping out the implementation of the government's plans for its remaining 1,825 days.

The mission statement for this government's Education and Employment portfolio was clearly laid out in the election manifesto. In the first 100 days, we have managed to take stock of the situation, to study ways of implementing our proposals and to set in motion the mechanism which will give our people an improved educational system and with which we will improve employment opportunties, particularly among our youths. We have launched Jobs+, an initiative which will further bridge the gap between employment and skills.

If I could pick one moment from the first 100 days in office which captures the essence and importance of this government's education programme, it would be from a  public consultation meeting I held with students with learning difficulties and their parents in Floriana in April.

A teenager plucked up the courage to stand up and share her difficulties with the condition she had and explained that no matter how much she tried, she couldn't cope with the demands of an antiquated education system. As her voice broke and a tear was shed, it became very clear that there were issues, perhaps invisible ones, that needed to be tackled in our education system. This was just days after taking one of our first decisions in office - the introduction of an access arrangement in the benchmark assessment, so that students with learning difficulties were not abandoned at the most important time of the year.

There are many other areas in education where we are determined to take action too.

New schools are necessary, and we will build new schools. However maintaining existing schools is also very important. The poor state of some of our school buildings was a reality we had to face immediately. Certain areas within schools have been closed off due to their dilapidated state, and in certain cases the poor state of repair of some schools posed a danger to students and teachers. There are more than 100 state schools which need infrastructural improvements, and over the next three years we will invest €15 million in a maintenance programme.

The government is also investing heavily in further education. We have increased the Master's Scholarship fund by €700,000 and made it more inclusive, resulting in record applications. Through this increase, the government's investment in Master's, doctoral and sports scholarships for this year is well over the €2 million mark. We're giving more people a chance to succeed and at the same time building up the country's skills base.

But while some young adults are proving themselves highly capable there are children who are lagging behind.

According to the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) study, the EU average of 15-year-olds with 'low' reading literacy is 19.7%, while Maltese children score a disappointing 36%. More than a third of our children almost at the end of secondary education have serious literacy issues, which will, in turn, severely impede their progress in the labour market. In addition this opens a digital divide, as modern technology has literacy as a prerequisite to function. Clearly we have work to do and we have used these first 100 days to outline the strategy to tackle the literacy problem.

Other initiatives have been taken. The introduction of co-ed in state secondary schools and the 'middle school' concept are policy changes which we believe will deliver results, both educational and social. Each school and college will now have the opportunity to evaluate better the needs of its students and have the necessary tools to address them. The co-ed decision is just one example of the way forward, moving away from a one-size-fits-all concept.

The road ahead is a long one. In these first 100 days we have taken some important first steps, but I have no doubt about the scale of the task that awaits us. It is important for government to work with educators, students and parents. The opposition shadow spokesman for education, in his review of the first 100 days, actually highlighted the government's work. Together there is so much that we can achieve. I am sure that with strong determination and united purpose we will provide our youth with better chances and a brighter future.

We have not attempted an education revolution in the first 100 days, but we have established the roadmap with which the government will reform our educational system for the next 1,825 days - and beyond.

Evarist Bartolo is minister for education