Updated | Government hiding education rankings

Evarist Bartolo

Shadow education minister Evarist Bartolo said government has not publicised international TIMSS and PIRLS education studies, which he said showed Malta ranking at the bottom of the international trends in maths and science rankings.

"Labour knows that government is ashamed of these rankings," Bartolo said. "We don't agree that after carrying out these studies, they get hidden away. The TIMSS 2011 study contains crucial recommendations for the future our children, and these must be taken into serious consideration, amongst them proposals for early education in science and maths, reading and writing, inside childcare centres. It even calls for greater investment in childcare centres."

Bartolo said that parents of young children should also be better educated to help their children develop their mental abilities from an early age. "The TIMSS and PIRLS shows that the government must provide better resources in the field of maths, science, reading and writing to help those children hailing from disadvantaged areas."

The education ministry has denied claims by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo that it has withheld the reports for literacy in maths, science, and reading and writing, saying the studies were published internationally online.

"Labour has access to these reports, which it knows about since it held a press conference on this subject back in 2013. The education directorate is making its analysis of these reports and the results obtained by Maltese students. They will be analysed closely and there will also be discussion with teachers and educators to see where we can improve and assist teachers and students to obtain better results."

More from Staff Reporter

•

Obviously the PN should ask the government school teachers if they are going to vote for them. There have been so many unnecessary reforms and all sorts of crack pot crusades for implementing the methods of mixed ability learning in schools. You know what, these reforms have burdened and really annoyed many teachers, so you can forget their votes for sure! About education in general, the gonz has always been a maverick in playing with statistics. Its true now the number of tertiary level students have sprung up considerably but the level has gone down. Nowadays if you have money you can very easily buy a phd, masters or bachleors degree. Some of these degrees are not even worth the paper on which they are written on. But obviously instead of meritocratic promotions and employment based on the value of true work and other values, persons are promoted and employed on titles and degrees and not on their real capacities. This is thanks to the PN and its real educational improvements!

•

Minister Bartolo I believe you are right in what you are saying but please what is the PL going to do to correct the situation? We have a lot of questions but very few answers. I think the people would like to hear the solution to the problem.

•

ALGAN, spending money is easy! Just ask the young generation, or GonziPN for unbridled spending habits and sprees. Investing money wisely is another thing altogether, and something GonziPNisti exercise profusely, but only privately with their own cash. Public money belongs to no one, but the insiders, so what the heck! GonziPN spends but does not invest. Proof may be found easily in the standards enjoyed (??) by the latest 10 year crop of University graduates (Obviously this statement, by force, has to be a generalisation).

•

At all levels of the education spectrum standards and achievements are much less rosy then they are depicted. It is true that we spend more money per student than most other European countries but our education standards and rankings place us in the bottom positions. This happens right across the various education sectors. Our tertiary education world rankings are an embarrassment resulting in many prospective fee paying foreign students no longer consider the option of coming to study at our universities. The standards in maths and science in secondary schools are at least two grades lower than those in comparable grades at asian and central and north europe schools. The number of functionally illiterate students leaving our schools is a national scandal. Exams results are often dumbed down to show more students being successful. Yet the PN dare show education as being one of the three major successful stories. "fis-sod" indeed . A radical and holistic educational transformation plan by the PL is needed to restructure education right from its very foundations as is the case with the proposed ambitious energy sector plan

Updated | Government hiding education rankings – MP

Government hiding reports of Malta ranking in reading, writing, maths and science education