Reading is fun and pays

The importance of continuously striving to improve levels of literacy in both Maltese and English cannot be emphasised enough. Language is important in the provision of quality education. Quality education should be inclusive, and language should form the basis of successful learning in all subjects. It is not enough simply to claim that language education is adequately being addressed because it is being taught at a basic level in the formal curriculum. Policies and practices are to be formulated and coordinated to ensure not just minimum standards but high quality provision.

The Ministry for Education is seeking to promote increased levels of literacy in every way possible. We are eager to enter into a partnership with parents, teachers and other interested parties from both the public and private sectors who are eager to collaborate with us on this important venture. The love for reading needs to be germinated within the home and early on in school and nurtured in later years. There needs to be increased awareness that the role of parents and child carers is vital in the early years.

We feel that as a nation we should do our utmost to increase levels of literacy by any means possible, both within our formal education system and beyond. Within our education system we need to ensure that we are able to motivate our students to enjoy what they do at school. Learning, and in particular literacy skills, should be perceived as enjoyable activities. Literacy should be the responsibility of all educators and not just those teaching Maltese and English. There needs to be also increased awareness within the wider community of the importance of raising literacy standards.

In April we appointed eight consultation groups to look closely at the state of the provision for literacy at different levels and in various areas. These groups completed their reports in early summer. We invited also feedback from the interested parties and the general public.

Our National Literacy Strategy will seek to put emphasis, among others, on the following:

Increased emphasis on the first and early years, since these years form the basis for later literacy development;

Increased parental involvement, as meaningful dialogue with significant adults in the early years is very important for language development;

More emphasis on meaningful dialogue, including in childcare and kindergarten centres;

Opportunities for increased reading time in schools;

Screening for literacy difficulties and appropriate intervention in the early and junior years;

Appropriate capacity-building and continuing professional development opportunities in literacy for the different teaching ranks and educational administrators at all levels;

Better coordination of efforts between day and after-school provision and among all the stakeholders; and

Increased youth and adult education literacy opportunities.

We are seeking to ensure a concerted and coordinated effort to reach our objective of raising levels of literacy. We are inviting cooperation and collaboration from all those who share these objectives. We feel that this will be of benefit for all!

Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education