Education should form citizens, not just workers, Momentum says

Momentum called for stronger investment into the arts, culture, philosophy, and civic education in a series of proposals targeting Malta’s urgent needs for an education system that forms citizens, not just workers.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party explained that while economic participation is important, education must never be reduced to producing ‘human resources’ for an economic model that often prioritises overdevelopment, precarious work and unsustainable growth.

“For too long, both the Labour Party (PL) and Nationalist Party (PN) have treated education primarily as a factory for the labour market,” Momentum said. “Their proposals may differ in style and branding, but they share the same utilitarian vision: education is viewed as a means to produce workers for the economy, satisfy employers’ demands and maximise economic output.”

Momentum called for less obsession with rote learning based on memorization and repetition, along with exams and standardised testing, then replacing it with greater emphasis on critical thinking, media literacy and democratic participation.

The party highlighted the importance of education policies that place inclusion and equal opportunity at their core, while encouraging schools to foster environmental awareness, social responsibility, and community engagement.

It also proposed better support, dignity, and working conditions for educators, combined with a national strategy to improve  student wellbeing and mental health.

“Momentum also believes that the growing crisis in Malta’s education system cannot be separated from wider social realities,” Momentum Executive Member Natasha Azzopardi said. “Overcrowding, excessive development, traffic congestion, economic insecurity and declining quality of life are directly impacting students, families and educators alike.”

She pointed out that both the PN and PL have contributed to an economic model that increasingly measures success solely through GDP growth, while ignoring the social and human costs that the system creates.

“Education should help people flourish as human beings, not simply train them to fit into an economic machine,” Azzopardi said.