PN seeking to ‘establish EU standards in education’

"The PN seeks to establish European standards [in education]," Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said during a dialogue themed on education held on the Granaries as part of the Nationalist Party's Independence celebrations. "We are not happy with mediocrity. We are not the party of 'second-hand'," Gonzi insisted, while reiterating commitments to retain the stipend system.

"We need to keep working so that your children succeed," Gonzi told the party faithful. He said that parents are naturally concerned at their children's' academic progress, irrespective of whether they are at primary school or university.

He insisted that the PN was "always the party of education. Always. We never close down a school. We never closed down an institute. We never closed down a university. We never introduced the points system," Gonzi said, in an indirect jab at the Labour Party's education track record.

He fielded questions by University Pro-Rector Prof Marianne Lauri, as well as members of the audience.

He said that those undecided on which party to vote for, "the choice should be for those who have a policy to open schools, MCAST, university, to give scholarships, and who see to it that our youth move ahead."

He said that even so, "this is not enough." He said that anyone who needed help or assistance was given all the assistance they required to be able to educate themselves. "Few are the countries who can afford to provide Learning Support Assistants (LSA)," Gonzi said.

"As we did in all the past years, especially in the past four years and as squeezed as we were from all sides, we will be working hard in the future," Gonzi said.

Asked how the government would endure a quality tertiary education despite increase student numbers, Gonzi criticised what he described as "fault-finding" by the Labour Party "who is focused on the negative and cannot find the positive."

He said that in 2012, 83% of youth are opting to pursue tertiary education, citing it as proof positive of the PN's success in education. Gonzi said that when Labour was in government, they opted for experimentation "and they made a mess of it." Gonzi also recalled the much-maligned 'repeater class' touted by the Sant administration.

"Our youth are making their choice. The 'My choice' in education that the PN represents," Gonzi said, once again referencing the PN's electoral slogan.

He said that Maltese and Gozitan students (over 18 million) are currently receiving a total of 32 million Euros annually in stipends. "We give it to them so that they spend it on their education," Gonzi said, insisting that the government's solution to a quality education lies in strong investment, a stronger economy, and thus a stronger future.

Gonzi also said that the establishment of a large number of child-care centres represent "a giant leap forward" for the country in this regard. He added that child care centres are a valuable resource not only for working parents, but also parents who want to facilitate the social development of their children.

He said that parents have the duty to push their children to develop themselves to the best of their ability. "Not everyone is suited to certain careers. But we have created many options for youth seeking a path in life," Gonzi said, citing MCAST, ITS and its hospitality courses as an example. He said that today the tourism industry is providing work for many Maltese youth, "and one feels proud to work in such a sector."

Referring to Labour Leader Joseph Muscat's statements during the Labour Congress held in Gozo earlier that day, Gonzi said that government already has in mind to develop accessibility to Gozo, thus creating investment opportunities.

He said that through this accessibility, "one can start cutting down the obstacles that Gozitan workers and students face." He insisted that the PN government was already helping Gozitan students through the stipend.

He ridiculed the PL's adoption of the guiding principle of 'more jobs for Gozitans', which was approved with a show of hands at the conclusion of the PL Congress. "If things were that simple, we would go to the EU, raise our hands, and stabilise things in seconds. Is this seriousness?" Gonzi asked, amid jeers from the audience.

He said that the PN was committed to the notion of allowing youth to progress in their studies "without needing any assistance or patrons."

Asked by Prof Lauri why should mothers concerned about their children's futures vote for the PN, Gonzi asked why would a loving parent truly "gamble" such an important concern?

"Who else would they trust but someone who has already showed that they were not afraid of bringing about the change the country needed to continue flourishing?" Gonzi asked. He said that 'secret' was that the PN was never afraid from change that was necessary.

"You have a solid example of the changes we brought about in the country when there were those who opposed such changes. We have shoed what we can do in good weather and bad," Gonzi said, amid the applause of the audience.

Asked about the problem of illiteracy in Malta, Gonzi said that this is a "constant challenge that needs to be overcome to ensure that none of our youth fail to advance. Your children are our first priority," Gonzi told the audience.

He said that children facing difficulty in literacy, as well as mathematics and other subjects, are identified and assisted before exam-time, and these are given proper attention so that they catch up. He said that alongside Ireland, England, and other Nordic countries, we have teachers especially trained to intervene with children facing such problems.

Gonzi also reiterated the PN's track record and commitments on job creation. He said that the jobs that would be created now and in the future would be skill-based jobs that would also be heavily reliant on investments in technology.

Former Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and newly-announced election candidate Simon Busuttil both received considerable cheers from the audience, who crowded both the inside and outside of the tent.