The Government says the GSD’s comments on the structured remote learning programme are “totally incorrect “.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The GSD are totally incorrect to state that the Department of Education and its schools have not put a structured remote learning programme into place as part of the contingency learning plan. The Department of Education and its schools have of course put into place a robust contingency learning plan for all pupils in all schools which is delivered remotely. This contingency programme is curriculum focused, forward moving, structured and broad. Pupils self isolating at home are provided with learning activities designed to address the curriculum learning objectives that they would have focused on had they been in school. 

The key principles underpinning the Department of Education’s approach towards curriculum delivery are as follows: 

• Education is not optional: all pupils receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. 
• The curriculum remains broad and ambitious: all pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment. 
• Home Learning, where needed, continues to deliver a broad curriculum focusing on the development of the fundamental learning skills which our schools and educational settings deliver. 

HMGoG schools and educational settings will continue to deliver a broad curriculum via their home learning programmes in the event that a pupil or group of pupils are required to self-isolate, or in the event of a partial or full lockdown. 

As has been explained by the Department of Education previously in numerous forums, a decision has been made for the contingency learning programme not to be organised in a synchronous manner. Whilst other individuals within our community might feel that synchronous contingency learning is the best alternative to in-class teaching, the educators at the Department of Education do not agree that this is the case. The Department of Education feels that a robust asynchronous learning programme which consists of stimulating activities that target the range of learning objectives the pupils would have covered had they been in school will provide pupils with the best alternative to the in-class learning experience for the limited periods of time, usually no more than seven schools days, when this is required.

Carefully constructed asynchronous learning will continue to support pupils in the development of their skills, in the development of their understanding and will support their acquisition of knowledge. It will provide the pupils with hands-on learning opportunities and will ensure they engage actively with the learning concepts at hand. All HMGoG schools and educational settings’ learning platforms provide a range of tools which teachers use to engage directly with pupils and provide feedback and guidance. The Department of Education remains satisfied that the contingency learning programme guidelines they have put into place across schools and educational settings provide pupils with the framework necessary to ensure their learning continues in as smooth and effective a manner as possible, despite the unfortunate interruption to in-class learning. 

Current learning places pupils at the centre of the learning process, which shifts the focus from the traditional idea of the teacher being central to the learning process to one in which the teacher facilitates the learning for the pupil who is very much at the centre of that learning her/himself. This shift in the dynamic helps to foster learner autonomy and independence, and helps pupils develop critical thinking, problem-solving and core life skills. The thought that the teacher (be it at the front of the classroom or taking centre stage in a Zoom video call) is central to the learning is a rather old fashioned view of the learning dynamic and one that the Department of Education has actively moved away from. It seems to be the method that the GSD seems to want to revert to. 

It is unrealistic to suggest that there are alternatives to in-class learning which can provide equivalent experiences to pupils self-isolating to those which pupils would have within the school environment. There is, regrettably, no alternative programme which can replicate the teaching and learning opportunities that a classroom situation provides. However, there are key learning opportunities which can be replicated within contingency learning plans and it is these which the Department of Education remains committed to maximising. 

TheDepartment of Education’s figures show that 99% of the pupils self-isolating have been actively engaging with the contingency learning programme that has been put into operation in Notre Dame LowerPrimary further to the recent spate of cases leading to self-isolation. The level of interactivity online between school staff and pupils is extremely high and demonstrates that pupils are engaging with the contingency learning programme that has been implemented. Previous experiences in other schools which have also had whole class self-isolations have also highlighted the high level of engagement by pupils and positive interactivity between pupils and school staff. 

The Department of Education continues to engage with staff at all schools, the NASUWT and parents in order to discuss and reflect on the contingency learning provision and identify areas for improvement as well as areas of strength. 

Minister for Education JohnCortes commented, “KeithAzopardi is out of date about how we teach, and Edwin Reyes is out of touch with what is happening in our schools. The GSD’s press statement makes the fake news type of assertion that online learn isn’t taking place, when it most definitely is. It also clearly shows that they are unaware of the way that teaching is carried out today, which is much more interactively than when either of them was in school. Moreover, it shows utter lack of respect towards the teachers who, in addition to their classroom-based work, are providing the online options at the same time. And it doesn’t recognise the tremendous work that the teachers are doing in very trying circumstances, and have been doing for almost a year. The GSD should leave Education to the educators and to those of us who understand Education.”