Education Minister Evarist Bartolo has dismissed concerns about the government’s plan to recruit foreign supply teachers by suggesting they could be taught Maltese by their students.
The plans have attracted criticism from one of the country’s teachers unions, as well as the wider public, but Bartolo insists the solution to the language problem is simple.
“If the foreign teacher in question can’t speak Maltese, the students themselves could teach them the language gradually,” he said, suggesting that 15 minutes at the start of each lesson could be dedicated to teacher language-learning.
“What’s more, this would give the kids vital teaching experience from a young age, which will help solve the teacher shortage in the future,” the minister added while tapping his forehead with his index finger.
Students themselves have welcomed the proposal to bring in foreign teachers.
“It’ll be so much easier to undermine the teacher’s authority if they can’t understand what we’re all saying to each other,” said Ben Caruana, 14, from Dingli.
“And teaching them that the Maltese word for ‘textbook’ is ‘żobb’ will be amazing,” he added.
