This takes me to my final argument, which is central to my opinion about school-work-free summers. Those who know me, know full well my admiration towards the work of Ken Robinson. I am in agreement with him on the idea that the rhythm of learning that occurs in schools and that which occurs naturally in children is not the same. He even goes to say that many education systems fail to create the right conditions for learning. I have seen work done in Malta and I feel that this is not the case here. This is not a politically correct statement. It is more a form of praise for the sterling work done by many professionals who work hard and with dedication to help their students learn more. Yet, we must always bear in mind that school is grossly reliant on the syllabus, which in poor words is a set of lessons about a set of subjects. There is nothing wrong with Maths, English or Maltese. My contention here is that, these are not the only subjects to be learnt. A comprehensive education system ought to help the students develop the skills in children that will help them through their adult lives. Some examples include, conflict resolution, empathy, communication, supporting others, et cetera. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that this is the fault of schools. I am not suggesting that these issues should be taken up by the school syllabus either. I think that the hands of educators and teachers are full already as they are.
Steve Libreri is a social worker and parent coach within Willingness. He offers parent coaching and social work sessions. He can be contacted on steve@willingness.com.mt.