By Prof. Victor Martinelli, Head of Department of Education Studies
Learning is far too important to be left to teachers alone, especially in such extraordinary times, according to the UM’s Head of Department of Education Studies.
“It is time for parents to roll up their sleeves and assume the role of the main educator, as they are the main stakeholders in the quality of their children’s education, along with the state and society”, he told Newspoint.
He made the comment in relation to another statement made to the media last weekend, where he was asked about how the prolonged absence from school might cause some delays in picking up the routine again and resuming the normal rate of learning.
Unless they are being kept academically active throughout summer, there is a risk that some children might temporarily fall back a bit in terms of their academic progress. Whilst this is a phenomenon that is already seen towards the start of the academic year after the summer lull, the prolonged absence from the physical classroom might lead to a longer period of re-adjustment.
“The effects of this disruption can be effectively minimised in two ways. Firstly, teachers need to accept the reality that rates of productivity will be lower and accommodate that into their teaching methods to make up for lost time. And secondly, parents need to compensate for the school absence by actively contributing to their children’s education; spending time with them and monitoring their school activities”.
However, Prof. Martinelli recognises the quality and quantity of parent interaction with their children is not always consistent. Quoting the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, he says literacy development of children is significantly related to how much parents like to read, and to the parents’ educational expectations for their children.
The report also says while the proportion of Maltese parents who often carry out early literacy activities with their children is significantly higher than the international average, this is still low, at 45%. It also found a correlation between the parents’ highest educational level and the likelihood of adequate resources at home – the more qualifications the parents have, the more reading resources are available at home and the more likely they are to share these resources with their children.
This discrepancy between highly-educated parents and lower-educated ones, he says, exists in parallel with a digital divide between younger and older teachers, made evident with the switch to online teaching methods.
“Although understandable, it is undesirable to hear comments made by parents about how hard it is to tend to their children in normal times; the current situation has imposed new pressures on them. The truth of the matter remains however, that they have big shoes they need to fill: they must ensure the continuity of education for their children so they can pick up the pace again once this is all over”, Prof. Martinelli exclaimed.
Disclaimer: Opinions and thoughts expressed within this article do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Malta.