I was invited by the Nationalist Party to present a suggestion to the Prime Minister as a telecommunications engineer and post-graduate student, at the dialogue held at the newly inaugurated Aviation Park at Safi. Below is a short summary of what I spoke about. It may not be a word-by-word transcription of what I said as I have to rely on notes and memory.
Prim Ministru,
Jiena Mark Sammut, gradwajt bħala inġinier mill-Universita’ ta’ Malta, u ilni għal dan l-aħħar 4 snin naħdem ma’ kumpanija privata fil-qasam tat-telekomunikazzjoni. Grazzi wkoll għall-iSTEPS, programm ta’ boroż ta’ studju ko-finanzjat mill-Gvern Malti u mill-Unjoni Ewropea, f’dawn l-aħħar sentejn segwejt kors ta’ Masters fil-qasam tat-telekomunikazzjoni ma' universita’ barranija.
Ma nistax ma nibdiex billi nuri l-apprezzament tiegħi għall-fiduċja li l-Gvern Malti għandu fina, u tal-opportunitajiet kollha li għandna miftuħin quddiemna. Hija l-garanzija ta’ dawn l-opportunitajiet li tixpruna liż-żgħażagħ biex jitgħallmu, jitħarrġu u javvanzaw, u mhux garanziji fiergħa ta’ xi xogħol ta’ kwalita' malli tagħlaq 16-il sena.
L-investiment li qed naraw ġej lejn pajjiżna f’oqsma bħall-avjazzjoni, l-informatika, it-telekomunikazzjoni u l-farmaċewtika, huwa inkoraġġanti, għax dawn huma industriji li jagħtu xogħol ta’ kwalita’ lil nies ta’ kull livell, minn professjonisti speċjalizzati, għal nies li segwew taħriġ vokazzjonali u nies li lesti jibdew jitħarrġu ma’ dawn il-kumpaniji stess.
Pero’ inħoss li qasam li f’pajjiżna għadna ma sfruttajniex biżżejjed huwa r-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni. Naħseb li dan qed iwassal biex numru ta’ żgħażagħ joqogħdu lura milli jkomplu l-istudju tagħhom f’livelli iżjed avvanzati, għax jaraw limitazzjoni ta’ opportunitajiet f’dan il-qasam. Mill-banda l-oħra, l-opportunitajiet f’dan il-qasam ħafna drabi jinħolqu mir-riċerkaturi stess. L-importanza ta’ dan il-qasam, qiegħda dejjem toħroġ iżjed fil-beraħ. Rajna riċentament ir-riżultati eċċellenti li qed jiksbu riċerkaturi fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta, skoperti ta’ kura ġenetika, riċerka fl-avjazzjoni fuq livell ewropew, u invenzjoni li saret fil-Fakulta’ tal-Inġinerija li anke kisbet patent internazzjonali. Dan is-suċċess igawdi minnu l-pajjiż kollu, għax il-fondi li qed jinkisbu u l-qliegħ li tagħmel l-Universita’ minn din ir-riċerka, qed jgħin biex l-Universita’ ssir dejjem aktar sostenibbli, u tkun tista’ tinvesti biex ittejjeb il-kwalita’ tal-korsijiet offruti fiha.
U allura tajjeb li naraw x’jeħtieġ isir biex inkomplu nsaħħu dan il-qasam, u jkollna nies ippreparati biżżejjed. X’teħtieġ ix-xjenza? X’teħtieġ ir-riċerka? Ix-xjenza, ir-riċerka, teħtieġ nies li jaħsbu. Nies li jħarsu lejn l-affarijiet b’lenti kritika u analitika, mhux nies li kapaċi biss jitgħallmu l-informazzjoni bl-amment. Għalhekk, issa li qed jirnexxielna niftħu beraħ il-bibien tal-opportunita’, nemmen li jeħtieġ li niffukaw l-enerġiji tagħna biex iżjed żgħażagħ ikunu kapaċi jaħtfu dawn l-opportunitajiet. Nagħmel referenza għal dak li anke' qal il-mibki Fr Peter Serracino Inglott is-sena l-oħra, fuq kif ir-riġidita' u ċ-ċentralizzazzjoni żejda tas-sistema edukattiva u l-Kurrikulu Minimu Nazzjonali, qed joħonqu l-liberta’ u l-oriġinalita’ mis-sistema edukattiva tagħna. Kurrikulu li minn Kurrikulu Minimu, sar iżjed meqjus bħala Kurrikulu Massimu, u li l-ebda għalliem u skola mhu qed ikollhom ċans imorru lil hinn minnu.
Prim Ministru, naħseb li jekk irridu ‘l quddiem naraw iżjed żgħażagħ li kapaċi jkunu kreattivi u innovativi, għandna bżonn nirrevedu bis-serjeta’ it-tip ta’ edukazzjoni li qed tingħata fil-livelli primarji u sekondarji. L-edukazzjoni m’għandhiex tkun biss proċess ta’ kif ngħaddu l-informazzjoni, imma proċess ta’ kif il-ġenerazzjoni ta’ għada titgħallem taħseb. Jekk it-tfal tagħna mhux qed jitgħallmu jaħsbu, jirraġunaw u jikkritikaw, l-edukazzjoni tkun qed tfalli f’dak li għandu jkun l-għan primarju tagħha.
Inħeġġeġ lill-Gvern ikompli juri din il-fiduċja fil-poplu u fiż-żgħażagħ tagħna, u li jkomplu jinħolqu dawn it-tip ta’ opportunitajiet, li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar iwasslu għal xogħol ta’ kwalita’ għal kulħadd.
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English Translation
Prime Minister,
I am Mark Sammut, I graduated as an engineer from the University of Malta, and for these past 4 years have been employed with a private company in the telecommunications industry. Thanks to STEPS, the scholarship scheme co-financed by the Government of Malta and the European Union, in these past two years I have also been reading for a Masters degree with a foreign university.
I have to show my appreciation for the faith the government shows in us, and for the opportunities that have been opened. It's the guarantee of these opportunities that pushes youngsters to study, train and move forward, not empty guarantees of good quality jobs for sixteen year olds.
The investment in industries like aviation, telecommunications, information technology and pharmaceuticals that we see pouring in our country, is encouraging because these industries provide quality work for people of all levels, from professionals and specialists, to people who have followed vocational courses, and others who are ready to start training with these companies themselves.
But I feel that an area which we have not yet exploited enough is research and development. I think that this is leading a number of youngsters to hold back from furthering their studies at more advanced levels, because they perceive limited opportunities in these areas. On the other hand, in many cases such opportunities are created by researchers themselves. The importance of research is becoming more evident. Recently, we witnessed the excellent results being achieved by researchers in the University of Malta, discoveries of new genetic cures, avionics research on a European level, and the first patented invention by the Faculty of Engineering. This success is fruitful for everyone, because the funds and profits which the University makes from this research is helping the University become more sustainable and invest in the quality of courses on offer.
We should therefore see what needs to be made to strengthen this, and to have people who are skilled and prepared enough. And what does science need? What does research need? Science and research need people who think. People who can look at things critically and analytically, and not people who can learn things by heart. Now that we have opened wide the doors of opportunity, we must focus our energies in ensuring that our youths are capable of grasping these opportunities. I refer also to what Fr. Peter Serracino Inglott had said last year, regarding how the rigidity and over-centralization of our education system and the National Minimum Curriculum are stifling freedom and originality from education. A curriculum which has turned itself from a minimum curriculum into a maximum curriculum, where no teacher and school have the time to expand further.
Prime Minister, I think that if in the future we want to see more creative and innovative youngsters, we seriously need to take a look at the type of education provided at primary and secondary levels. Education shouldn't be simply a process of imparting information, but a process by which tomorrow's generation learns to think. If your children are not being taught to think, reason and criticize, education would be failing in what should be its primary purpose.
I encourage the government to keep showing this faith in our people and youngsters, and that these opportunities keep being created, which eventually lead to quality jobs for everyone.
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English Translation
Prime Minister,
I am Mark Sammut, I graduated as an engineer from the University of Malta, and for these past 4 years have been employed with a private company in the telecommunications industry. Thanks to STEPS, the scholarship scheme co-financed by the Government of Malta and the European Union, in these past two years I have also been reading for a Masters degree with a foreign university.
I have to show my appreciation for the faith the government shows in us, and for the opportunities that have been opened. It's the guarantee of these opportunities that pushes youngsters to study, train and move forward, not empty guarantees of good quality jobs for sixteen year olds.
The investment in industries like aviation, telecommunications, information technology and pharmaceuticals that we see pouring in our country, is encouraging because these industries provide quality work for people of all levels, from professionals and specialists, to people who have followed vocational courses, and others who are ready to start training with these companies themselves.
But I feel that an area which we have not yet exploited enough is research and development. I think that this is leading a number of youngsters to hold back from furthering their studies at more advanced levels, because they perceive limited opportunities in these areas. On the other hand, in many cases such opportunities are created by researchers themselves. The importance of research is becoming more evident. Recently, we witnessed the excellent results being achieved by researchers in the University of Malta, discoveries of new genetic cures, avionics research on a European level, and the first patented invention by the Faculty of Engineering. This success is fruitful for everyone, because the funds and profits which the University makes from this research is helping the University become more sustainable and invest in the quality of courses on offer.
We should therefore see what needs to be made to strengthen this, and to have people who are skilled and prepared enough. And what does science need? What does research need? Science and research need people who think. People who can look at things critically and analytically, and not people who can learn things by heart. Now that we have opened wide the doors of opportunity, we must focus our energies in ensuring that our youths are capable of grasping these opportunities. I refer also to what Fr. Peter Serracino Inglott had said last year, regarding how the rigidity and over-centralization of our education system and the National Minimum Curriculum are stifling freedom and originality from education. A curriculum which has turned itself from a minimum curriculum into a maximum curriculum, where no teacher and school have the time to expand further.
Prime Minister, I think that if in the future we want to see more creative and innovative youngsters, we seriously need to take a look at the type of education provided at primary and secondary levels. Education shouldn't be simply a process of imparting information, but a process by which tomorrow's generation learns to think. If your children are not being taught to think, reason and criticize, education would be failing in what should be its primary purpose.
I encourage the government to keep showing this faith in our people and youngsters, and that these opportunities keep being created, which eventually lead to quality jobs for everyone.
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