Evarist reneges on his pledge for more English in schools, and instead takes steps to start teaching Mandarin (Chinese)
Instead of getting Malta’s act together on the catastrophic inability of so many children and young adults to speak English, as he pledged to do when campaigning for votes among the tal-pepein his wife’s stomping-ground, Evarist Bartolo is taking steps instead to introduce Mandarin (Chinese) lessons in all schools.
Because, you know, Maltese children who wrestle with English and can’t get to grips with it, who can barely speak their own language, are really going to have an aptitude for Chinese.
Last Friday I had calls and emails from parents at one independent school and one church school. The heads of those schools had informed parents that the government, through the Education Ministry, had communicated its intention to put Mandarin on the syllabus.
At the church school, the headmistress relayed this information at a parents’ meeting. The reaction was uproar.
The news website Newsbook got wind of the story and rang the Education Ministry, which confirmed that yes, Mandarin is going to be put on the schools syllabus. An hour after Newsbook published its report, the same Education Ministry spokesman rang back to recant.
Well, I believe what he told them first go. He had no reason to lie or invent a story like that, and it ties in with what parents have been told by the heads of at least two schools.
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http://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2013/10/11/%22ic-ciniz%22-fost-il-lingwi-godda-fil-primarja.10877
Aaaaaah. So?
Oh dear Lord! This is gobsmacking news. Labour never changes does it?
I really wish I had a hand in our Education Department sometimes.
I would make weekly compositions in English, English literature and Maltese compulsory. As well as having compulsory spoken English lessons and an hour a day of exercise/ sports.
No wonder we have so many people unable to string a good sentence together in whichever language they choose. Chinese indeed!
Fabulous, we will soon hear the police force is providing Chinese take-aways.
Lingwi ohra barr il-Malti u l-ingliz?
French, German and Italian have been options for years.
Hemm bzonn li l-genituri tat-tfal tal-primarja iqumu u jipprotestaw. Ic-Ciniz mhux facli u ma ghandux ikun obligatorju iktar u iktar ghal tfal daqshekk zghar.
Evarist Bartolo ghadu l-istess persuna ta’ 20/30 sena ilu u irridu noqghodu attenti ghalih. Issa qisu sar xi qaddis, anki kif jitkellem imma taht taht ghadu l-istess.
Mandarin? Really? That would mean that these yobs have not learned anything over the last 26 years or so and are back to Mintoffian strategies.
It’s not bad enough that we once had Edward Scicluna promising a throwback to “Mintoffian economics” or that we are befriending totalitarian regimes.
My oh my, what a pickle the Maltese electorate has landed us all in.
During Mintoff’s time it was Arabic, now it’s Mandarin. The more Labour changes the more it stays the same.
How about turning the new parliament building into a farmers’ market?
http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa475/A_V11/Pitkalijagovernment_zps9164afd5.jpg
Both St.Aloysius College, secondary and primary (ex Stella Maris, Balzan) informed parents that Chinese and Arabic are on the syllabus as from this year.
It was just a matter of time…
In itself, I don’t think learning Mandarin is a bad idea. It would definitely help open doors in our children’s future.
However, like you said the priority has to be English, and we all know how much improvement we need there.
I don’t think the solution is to have Mandarin as part of the curriculum. But I would like my son’s private school to offer Mandarin lessons as a choice.
Actually I think they might do already. I haven’t looked into it yet as he’s still very young and only just started school this October. I would definitely consider sending him.
Mandarin. It’s the new Arabic, don’t you know.
1980s Reloaded – The Sequel
NI HAO!
Labour will never change, no matter under which thin veneer it chooses to present itself. It will always remain the same roiling cloud of turmoil, ambition and hatred.
The switchers have yet to learn that. At the cost of EVERYBODY’S peace of mind and tranquility.
However, methinks PN needs to look back on its people skills (or the lack thereof) and high-handed strategies and learn a few lessons too. After all something did actually motivate 36,000 voters to switch. To date I have yet to see one answer from PN that adequately addresses that burning question.
It’s going to get much worse before it even begins to get better.
This may be the reason why Chinese is important:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24473933
They want to introduce Mandarin so that we can all understand our Enemalta bills.
Maltese schoolchildren are struggling with Maltese, let alone English. What happened to all that talk about literacy before elections? Oh all right then, let’s introduce Chinese.
Backwards to Dom’s era when Arabic was made a compulsive subject in our schools.
To offer Mandarin as a choice yes, but to have Mandarin as part of the curriculum definitely no.
This reminds me of my school days when I had no choice but to learn Arabic whether I liked it or not, which I didn’t.
I agree with Neil ‘1980s Reloaded – The Sequel’
Learning Chinese is very important, otherwise how would we be able to inform Enemalta’s customer care when there’s a power cut?