Education Must Form Citizens, Not Just Workers

Momentum believes Malta urgently needs a new vision for education, one that places human development, critical thinking, creativity and active citizenship at its centre, rather than reducing education to a narrow tool serving short-term economic interests.

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

Momentum rejects this limited approach.

A truly modern education system should not simply prepare students for employment, but also empower them to become fulfilled individuals, engaged citizens and independent thinkers capable of contributing meaningfully to society, democracy, culture and the environment.

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.

Momentum is therefore proposing a broader and more humane educational vision based on the following principles:

• Greater emphasis on critical thinking, media literacy and democratic participation;
• Stronger investment in arts, culture, philosophy and civic education;
• A national strategy to improve student wellbeing and mental health;
• Less obsession with rote learning, exams and standardised testing;
• Better support, dignity and working conditions for educators;
• Education policies that place inclusion and equal opportunity at their core;
• Schools that foster environmental awareness, social responsibility and community engagement.

Momentum Executive member, Natasha Azzopardi, stated: “Momentum also believes that the growing crisis in Malta’s education system cannot be separated from wider social realities. Overcrowding, excessive development, traffic congestion, economic insecurity and declining quality of life are directly impacting students, families and educators alike. Both PL and PN have contributed to an economic model that increasingly measures success solely through GDP growth, while ignoring the social and human costs that this creates. Education should help people flourish as human beings, not simply train them to fit into an economic machine”.

Azzopardi concluded that Malta needs the courage to rethink what success in education truly means. Rather than competing over who can produce more workers faster, political parties should focus on building an education system that nurtures curiosity, ethics, creativity, solidarity and democratic values.
We reaffirm our commitment to developing education policies that place people and society at the centre, not just economic statistics.

Momentum: L-Edukazzjoni Għandha Tifforma Ċittadini, Mhux Biss Ħaddiema

Momentum jemmen li Malta għandha bżonn b’urġenza viżjoni ġdida għall-edukazzjoni, waħda li tqiegħed l-iżvilupp uman, il-ħsieb kritiku, il-kreattività u ċ-ċittadinanza attiva fiċ-ċentru tagħha, minflok tnaqqas l-edukazzjoni għal għodda limitata li taqdi biss interessi ekonomiċi fuq medda qasira ta’ żmien.

Għal wisq snin, kemm il-PL kif ukoll il-PN trattaw l-edukazzjoni prinċipalment bħala fabbrika għas-suq tax-xogħol. Il-proposti tagħhom jistgħu jvarjaw fl-istil jew fil-marketing, iżda jaqsmu l-istess viżjoni utilitarja fundamentali: l-edukazzjoni titqies prinċipalment bħala mezz biex tipproduċi ħaddiema għall-ekonomija, tissodisfa t-talbiet tal-industrija u timmassimizza l-produzzjoni ekonomika.

Momentum jirrifjuta din il-viżjoni limitata.

Sistema edukattiva tassew moderna m’għandhiex tipprepara lill-istudenti biss għax-xogħol, iżda għandha tagħtihom ukoll il-ħila jsiru individwi kompluti, ċittadini involuti u persuni kapaċi jaħsbu b’mod indipendenti u jikkontribwixxu b’mod pożittiv lis-soċjetà, lid-demokrazija, lill-kultura u lill-ambjent.

Filwaqt li l-parteċipazzjoni ekonomika hija importanti, l-edukazzjoni qatt m’għandha titnaqqas għal mezz biex tipproduċi “riżorsi umani” għal mudell ekonomiku li spiss jagħti prijorità lill-overdevelopment , xogħol prekarju u tkabbir mhux sostenibbli.

Momentum għalhekk qed jipproponi viżjoni edukattiva aktar wiesgħa u aktar umana mibnija fuq dawn il-prinċipji:

• Aktar enfasi fuq il-ħsieb kritiku, il-litteriżmu medjatiku u l-parteċipazzjoni demokratika;
• Investiment akbar fl-arti, il-kultura, il-filosofija u l-edukazzjoni ċivika;
• Strateġija nazzjonali biex jittejjeb il-benesseri u s-saħħa mentali tal-istudenti;
• Inqas ossessjoni bit-tagħlim bl-amment, l-eżamijiet u t-testijiet standardizzati;
• Aktar rispett, sostenn u kundizzjonijiet aħjar għall-edukaturi;
• Politiki edukattivi li jqiegħdu l-inklużjoni u l-opportunitajiet indaqs fil-qalba tagħhom;
• Skejjel li jrawmu kuxjenza ambjentali, responsabbiltà soċjali u impenn fil-komunità.

Natasha Azzopardi, membru tal-Ezekuttiv ta’ Momentum, stqarret: “Momentum jemmen ukoll li l-kriżi dejjem tikber fis-sistema edukattiva Maltija ma tistax tinfired mir-realtajiet soċjali usa’. L-iffullar, l-iżvilupp eċċessiv, il-konġestjoni tat-traffiku, l-inċertezza ekonomika u t-tnaqqis fil-kwalità tal-ħajja qed jaffettwaw direttament lill-istudenti, lill-familji u lill-edukaturi. Kemm il-PL kif ukoll il-PN ikkontribwew għal mudell ekonomiku li dejjem aktar ikejjel is-suċċess biss permezz tat-tkabbir tal-GDP, filwaqt li jinjora l-ispejjeż soċjali u umani li dan joħloq. L-edukazzjoni għandha tgħin lill-bnedmin jiffjorixxu bħala persuni, mhux sempliċement tħarriġhom biex jidħlu f’magna ekonomika”.

Azzopardi kkonkludiet: “Malta għandha bżonn il-kuraġġ terġa’ taħseb x’ifisser tassew suċċess fl-edukazzjoni. Minflok kompetizzjoni dwar min jipproduċi aktar ħaddiema aktar malajr, il-partiti politiċi għandhom jiffokaw fuq sistema edukattiva li trawwem il-kurżità, l-etika, il-kreattività, is-solidarjetà u l-valuri demokratiċi.
Il-partit jerġa’ jafferma l-impenn tiegħu biex jiżviluppa politika edukattiva li tqiegħed lill-persuni u lis-soċjetà fiċ-ċentru u mhux biss l-istatistika ekonomika”.

There is hope, you can help!

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