Minister of Education and National Culture meets US Secretary of Education

The Hon. Minister of Education and National Culture, Mr Evarist Bartolo M.P. met for more than one hour with the United States Secretary of Education, Hon. Richard Riley at the Department of Education's Building in Washington DC.

Secretary Riley is one of the closest Cabinet Ministers to President Clinton. During the meeting, Minister Bartolo and Secretary Riley discussed the possibilities that existed in harnessing support from US-based Corporations and Foundations to US and Malta's collaborative efforts in the fields of computers and technology in Education, Primary Education and Inclusive Education.

Both Ministers agreed that the widespread support for the slogan "Education for All" reiterated by Secretary Riley during the his visit to Chile with President Clinton in the meeting of Pan-American States, should be enhanced by a careful analysis of what curriculum skills are really being taught, learnt and evaluated. Minister Bartolo suggested that current education initiatives in many countries throughout the world targeted the top forty per cent of the academic elite. However, creative thinking skills, problem-solving and cooperative learning should be the basis of unlocking the will to learn of most students.

Secretary Riley praised that University of Malta's links with Rowan University and its LETMELEARN project and pledged his personal support to turn this agreement, which was signed last Tuesday, into a tripartite alliance which aims to meet the demands of education for a society and an economy focusing on the just-in-time skills needed for the 21st Century. Secretary Riley was particularly interested in the teaching of second and additional languages in Maltese Primary Schools.

Minister Bartolo, who had arrived in Washington after visiting School Districts and primary schools in New Jersey, also compared the education features of small island states with the myriad of townships in the United States. Both Secretary Riley and Minister Bartolo concurred on the praise to dedicated teachers who are working at the grass-roots level with disadvantaged children and in changing school environments. It was agreed that new initiatives should be set up to explore and draw up concrete projects of collaboration aimed at spreading internet links between education and cultural institutions in both countries.

Further meetings between the two parties are planned in the near future that will also focus on the globalisation aspects of education. Dr. Mark Anthony Micallef, Malta's Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Joseph Mifsud, University of Malt and Dr. Christine Johnston, Rowan University also attended the meeting. Hon. Secretary Riley was assisted by Dr. Karen L. Wenk and by members of his international cooperation staff. Mr. Keith Peterson from the American Embassy in Malta was also present. The meeting was held in the background of current controversy in the US Senate over the Republican-backed Education Saving Accounts Bill which aims to encourage a huge investment in private education at the expense of limiting much needed funding for state schooling.