Afterschool services or longer school hours?

Proposals for afterschool services have been on the agenda as early as pre-accession years, a time when the National Council of Women was in fact leading the gender equality aspects in the consultation process of the acquis negotiations. Although for a time this issue was put on the back burner, the need to provide policy to implement an adequate system cannot be postponed any longer

NCW understands the importance of the increased support of the Malta Chamber of Commerce to this issue, as the business sector faces global challenges, the demographic deficit and pensions reform and the challenges of the Single Market. The pressure on employers to introduce more innovative flexible workplace measures also need to be faced. In the current situation, what support is the business community in a position to offer?

It is of outmost importance that any proposed measures put forward be embedded in a wider holistic scenario that includes amongst others addressing the heavy curriculum content and homework load and ‘projects’ that both children and adolescents have to cope with in the current system. This not only requires the support of parents but also their direct involvement. Children today have more commitments outside school hours. Private lessons at all ages are still traditionally a priority for parents, whether really necessary or not in all cases

Throughout the years and more recently, opportunities for school children and adolescents to develop their talents and personalities have increased: we have seen public and private educational institutions mushrooming all over the island providing drama, music, dancing, singing, arts, sports opportunities that definitely go beyond the classroom ‘learning’ experience. Parents have quickly responded and not without sacrifice have done their utmost to ensure that their children can make use of these facilities, very often against payment, in the belief that their children can be better prepared to face life today – a better quality of life.

The need to address after school services has also been raised by the Minister of Finance in Budget 2011, constituted bodies and other organisations and therefore requires some clarification: are proposals put forward aiming at the compulsory extension of formal longer school hours with increased extra-curricular activities or are we proposing afterschool services on a voluntary basis, geared towards addressing the needs of our children? Will the measures apply to all State, private and Church schools? Have pilot projects to introduce afterschool services provided any concrete indicators on policy and implementation? Has the need for trained professionals in the different fields been considered? What is the position of teachers and their representative unions? What are the views of parents? Will the system be available for working mothers only? Will parents who wish to have a choice on how best to educate their children or who are able and want to be part of the education of their children be given an option? If parents decide not to let their children join the new system will these children be disadvantaged as far as education is concerned?

These and other issue have to be considered. For the past years NCW has been making proposals for measures, on afterschool services matching working hours of both parents, through the annual budget consultation process together with other gender equality and family-friendly proposals - measures that address the needs of different age groups through extra-curricular activities including also support for different learning needs and adequate help in homework where necessary amongst others. In recent years, the transport system for school children has also raised the issue of the need for the provision of services before official school hours for children who arrive early at school.

The interests of the child should be paramount in any educational reform. The increased participation of women in paid employment is a priority for NCW; however policy and implementation of relevant measures need to be carefully planned and implemented and definitely not at the expense of children’s development. In this manner, government can be better equipped to provide the necessary human and financial resources for effective implementation

NCW believes that whatever polices are adopted they should be the result of the findings of an economic and social impact assessment not least to provide indicators on whether the system should be compulsory or voluntary. There is the need to explore public-private partnerships with private sectors working in related services. Above all, we need to ensure that we are not increasing the workload of our children within the limited time of 24 hours, thus further reducing the space for our children to enjoy family life and free uninhibited leisure so necessary for quality childhood