UĦM Voice of the Workers eMagazine issue 03

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS ISSUE 03 JANUARY 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE

Early School Leavers

Contents Too young to hitchhike a job

02

We need to do this right

03

The importance of Education and Training

04

Early School Leaving and Youth Unemployment 05 Early School Leaving 06 Empowering Malta’s Human Capital for a Higher-Value Added Economy

07

Initiatives at European Union level 08

Welcome to issue number 3 of the Voice of the Workers e-magazine.

We are normally proud to say that we have a hard-working and flexible worker, who excels even when working abroad. However, might we be generalizing too much here? One negative aspect of our educational system is the relatively high amount of early school leavers. Although the severity of this problem may be subjective, it is safe to say that even one early VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

school leaver is one too many.

We need every person to be well-educated, trained, and with the necessary skills to succeed.

This issue presents to you a wide-ranging discussion, together with solutions proposed by the social partners. As usual, the CIA’s Brussels office is providing us with some aspects of how this situation is being discussed and treated at EU level. We trust that this issue is good food for thought. Enjoy!

Leaving school early has its repercussions, not only on the individual concerned, nut also on the person’s family, and ultimately on the economy as a whole READ MORE ON PAGE 3 1

Too young to hitchhike a job In Malta, almost four in ten students leave school early. Their lack of skills, training and education is not just a problem for these young people, but it’s robbing Malta of a better equipped and flexible workforce.

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

2

We need to do this right JOSETTE IS FIFTEEN AND STEFAN IS SIXTEEN. THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. THEIR INTERESTS ARE DIVERSE. THEY DO NOT EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER. JOSETTE AND STEFAN HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. THEY HAVE LEFT SCHOOL FOR GOOD Josette and Stefan form part of a substantial percentage of students who leave school at the age of sixteen, and vow never to return. According to government statistics, 22.6% of students who have just passed the age of compulsory education, drop out of the educational system altogether.

Leaving school early has its repercussions, not only on the individual concerned, nut also on the person’s family, and ultimately on the economy as a whole. What is worrying is also the fact that a

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

sizeable amount of early school leavers also have literacy issues.

Some school leavers do not have the basic writing and reading skills which permit them to lead more independent lives. Moreover, early school leavers lack the flexibility of others who have continued with their education, and a significant proportion of these fail to find a job, let alone a well-paid one. It is a fact that in a market where qualifications are essential, some of these may also fall into the unemployment trap, and ultimately into the poverty trap. These young persons cannot

be proactive in a consistently changing labour market, and tend to take up unskilled jobs that may be subject to precarious employment conditions.

But why do students leave school early? It is safe to say that the rate of school leavers is a barometer, or indication of the state of a country’s educational system; of whether that system is a success, or whether it is a failure. School leavers are really a symptom of a wider range of issues. For example, did these

3

students leave the educational system, or did the educational system itself fail them to the extent that they have cast it out of their lives? Could the educational system become irrelevant for them? Was the system catering for the way these students tend to learn? Is there too much of an emphasis on examinations and the rat race that such an emphasis tends to trap students into? Is there a pressure on some young people to start work as early as possible? Or could it be the result of social situations?

We need to act now. The price for being complacent is high indeed.

In 2012, a government report listed a three-tier framework to tackle the issue of early school leavers. These include prevention, especially from early childhood, intervention which has both a school as well as a student focus, and compensation, in which measures are enacted giving a second chance to students, as well as provoding the necessary support for students who can be encouraged to re-enter the educational mainstream.

The answer may lie to different extents in all these reasons, depending on different individuals. What is sure is that the current rate of early school leavers is unacceptable, and is a far cry from the EU average for the year 2020, where the targeted rate needs to go down to 10%.

Every early school leaver is an indictment on our educational system. Rather than have students fit into our educational system, it is the educational system which needs to fit into our young people’s needs. We need to explore new ways of supporting students who might

have a different way of learning.

We need to be flexible and open to our young people’s social and financial realities. For this to be done, we need a multi-stakeholder approach, where a common vision is agreed upon and where decisive action needs to be taken.

Government has recently presented a consultation document on the subject for public discussion. It is hoped that all interested parties come forward with proposals on how our educational system caters to more persons. We need to have the guts to call a spade a spade, and depart from the ‘but we have always done it this way’ approach, which leads us nowhere. We cannot afford more dropouts from our educational system. Every single early school leaver is a waste of our most precious and single resource: our own people.

Kevin Bonello MUT President

THE IMPORTANCE OF

Education and Training Since Malta’s only natural resource is the human being, it is of course very important that each and every citizen is educated and trained to the best of abilities. Unfortunately our early school leaving rates are of a high percentage and this is hampering the country’s development, both sociologically as well as economically. If industries fail to find the amount of skilled workers they require they will either employ foreigners or leave the island altogether.

The MUT insists that education is beyond what happens in the school and that both parents (custodians) of children as well as the community are responsible, and should be held responsible, VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

for the education of children and young people.

This is even more relevant when one considers that 70% of a child’s formation comes from home and the community.

Therefore the MUT appeals to the authorities to start addressing pressing issues that might be hindering child development, not just in the formal school setting, but also in informal, and familiar settings where the child spends the majority of his/her time. The Union has already made several suggestions in this regard but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any political will power, from both sides of Parliament, to implement these suggestions.

4

Early School Leaving and Youth Unemployment Notwithstanding the positive signs of economic recovery, Europe still faces high levels of youth unemployment. One of the major problems related to youth unemployment is that many students do not opt to continue their education but leave school early which then limits their job prospects.

The European Union is taking measures to ensure that there are strong prospects for growth and which provide employment to young Europeans. Europe’s 2020 Strategy focuses on economic growth and on making the EU competitive. In this strategy the EU has a target to ensure that early school leavers are reduced to 10% by 2020. Some of the initiatives

taken at the EU level include: the Youth Guarantee; the Youth Employment Initiative; steps to ease the transition from education to work by boosting high-quality apprenticeships and addressing skills shortages; and supporting SMEs to incentivise the hiring of young people.

Malta has a rate of 22.6% of early school leavers according to NSO statistics and half of fifth formers did not sit for their O’Levels or obtained only one.

In a country such as ours where the most important resource is human capital, we cannot afford to have people not continuing their education. Government is committed to address the situation through a new training programme for students.

Various stakeholders had also addressed concerns which highlighted early school leavers and their negative impact on employment possibilities during a MEUSAC Core Group meeting held in July 2013. This Core Group meeting also discussed the concrete actions at EU level mentioned earlier, from which Malta could benefit to tackle youth unemployment.

In a world which is constantly changing it is imperative that our youths make the transition from education to working life equipped with the right skills that are relevant to today’s jobs as it is not only our young people who lose out if they cannot find work – society as a whole will suffer tremendously.

This means that our future is at stake too.

MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

5

Early School Leaving IN 2013, EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING IN MALTA WAS DISCUSSED AT MCESD COUNCIL LEVEL WITH THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT. AFTER THE DISCUSSION AN ACTION GROUP WAS SET UP TO DISCUSS THE MATTER IN FURTHER DETAIL AND PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS TO GOVERNMENT. THE ACTION GROUP INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM TRADE UNIONS, EMPLOYERS’ ORGANISATIONS AND CIVIL SOCIETY. THE MAIN PROPOSALS WERE: Setting up a Sector Skills Council Such a council would work to bring about a reduction in the gap that currently exists between labour market needs and skills development. The Sector Skills Committee would establish a process to validate informal and non-formal learning in the various occupations within the mentioned sectors.

Setting up of apprenticeships and skills environment Education can be obtained outside school premises and apprenticeship schemes should be further encouraged.

Engage students in extra-curricular activities within school premises It was suggested that children remain at the premises after school hours, beyond formal schooling, while formal education is to remain as is. During this additional period, more extracurricular -options would be offered to pupils, thus enhancing their schooling experience and

making it more appealing and engaging.

New subjects in school syllabus New subjects were identified to complement the existing curriculum, namely Entrepreneurship, Tourism Studies and Vocational subjects.

The action group emphasised the need to teach students life skills, budgeting skills and parental skills amongst others Better enforcement and longer opening hours for Childcare centres Education starts very early and hence the need for children to have a good experience of school and education.

Early School Leaving Monitoring Unit The action group suggested that an Individual Student Monitoring Unit is set up which would serve to monitor all students in the educational system irrespective of family background and other factors.

Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) SEC examinations are to be assessed by individuals who are teaching the syllabus ensuring that the exams reflect the teachings in secondary school and hence lead to more students succeeding and continuing their studies.

Empowering Malta Qualifications Council Recognition of formal, informal education and vocational training.

Testing boards are to be set up to review individuals who have skills but no formal education.

Provide assistance to improve career guidance structures MCESD acknowledges the efforts being made to develop career guidance structures in educational institutions. However, more needs to be done to ensure that appropriate career guidance and coaching takes place.

Introduce Job Exposure Schemes MCESD is a firm believer in job exposure schemes.

MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

6

Empowering Malta’s Human Capital for a Higher-Value Added Economy In the wake of the economic and social challenges posed by the problem of early school leaving, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry was initiated by government to give its recommendations on combatting the problem. Encouraging more students to pursue tertiary and possibly higher-level education were amongst the main objectives which the Malta Chamber aimed to achieve through its recommendations.

It is indeed essential for Malta’s educational system to become more inclusive and geared up for the prevailing industry needs as

our country cannot afford to lose hundreds of students every year who decide to drop out of school or reach sixteen years of age without attaining a minimum level of qualification. In its submissions, the Malta Chamber reiterated its recommendation for extending school hours in view of enabling the provision of an improved combination of academic and non-academic activities so as to enhance students’ scholastic experience and thus help prevent drop-outs. Additionally, this will also serve to assist working parents’ continued participation in the labour market, whilst further incentivising female participation.

Following children in early education and improving career guidance structures are also viewed as key elements by which Malta’s educational system must be characterized.

All in all, education stands as a pillar upon which Malta’s economy must stand. Lacking the required investment in our human resources will only lead to a future workforce that lacks the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to the nation’s well-being. It is crucial that we embrace our country’s human capital as it is our greatest and most essential asset.

THE MALTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY 64 Triq Ir-Repubblika, Valletta, Malta Tel: (+356) 2123 3873 www.maltachamber.org.mt VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

7

Initiatives at European Union level

This Peer Review was organised by the Thematic Working Group on policies to reduce early school leaving (ESL) and published on the 15th of March 2013. Its main objective was to learn more about policy developments in different EU countries and to gain a better understanding of the challenges in developing and implementing policies with respect to ESL. Eight countries presented their policies: Austria, Bulgaria, the Land Berlin (Germany), Denmark, Malta, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal. They were discussed by representatives from 24 European countries in all, as well as different EU stakeholder organisations.

This document highlights the importance of having a comprehensive strategy and of ensuring the involvement of education and training institutions together with the commitment of parents, local communities, youth, social and employment services and businesses.

The document is available at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/ doc/peer/report_en.pdf

CONSULTATION

THE VOICE OF EUNEC IN EUROPE For EUNEC it is a point of concern to respond to public consultations relevant for education and training and to cooperate in analyses and studies undertaken by the European Commission.

In addition EUNEC collects all the output of the debates raised during the events organized, in several documents called ‘the statements’ of EUNEC, a common text agreed on by all participants For closed consultations and EUNEC statements check the following links: http://www.eunec.eu/answer/voice-eunec-europe http://www.eunec.eu/statements/shared-viewpoints

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF EDUCATION COUNCILS (EUNEC) “EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING” On 18-20 November 2013, EUNEC organized a three-day conference on the theme of early school leaving, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Parliament (Presidency of the EU) and the European Commission, DG Education and Culture.

About 80 participants, coming from 14 different countries, gathered in the Seimas (the Lithuanian Parliament) to discuss strategies and to find ways to reach the target set by the European Commission to reduce the school drop-out rate to 10% by 2020.

In November 2013 the European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE) has published a report on ‘The costs of early school leaving in Europe’ available at the following link: http://www.eenee.de/portal/page/portal/ EENEEContent/_IMPORT_TELECENTRUM/DOCS/ EENEE_AR17.pdf To download presentation and documents: http://www.eunec.eu/event/conference-earlyschool-leaving EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2013: OECD INDICATORS

VIDEOS

DOCUMENTS

PEER REVIEW ON EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING

EVENTS

There are many initiatives being undertaken at European Union level that may be of interest to you. These include conferences, information documents, tools, as well as online fora. This information, compiled

by CIA REPRESENTATION OFFICE IN BRUSSELS (Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori) who are partners in this project, will help you become aware of what is happening at European Union level, such as how the issues are being discussed, as well as opportunities for participation.

Education at a Glance: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Indicators is the authoritative source for accurate and relevant information on the state of education around the world. It provides data on the structure, finances, and performance of education systems in more than 40 countries, including OECD members and G20 partners.

An OECD video on ‘Value of education rises in crisis but investment in it falls’ available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltABYOs6CZo

8

UNION ÓADDIEMA MAGÓQUDIN (Malta Workers’ Union) Dar Reggie Miller, St Thomas Street, Floriana, FRN 1123 - Malta Tel +356 21220847 - +356 21234801 - +356 21236484 • Email info@uhm.org.mt www.uhm.org.mt Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Project part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing rate: 72.25% EU, 12.75 MT, 15% Private Funds Investing in your future