Jesmond Friggieri’s calling may not have started in teaching, but he has trained others for more than 25 years. This career spanning several decades in education, counselling and business has given Jesmond Friggieri unique insights into the challenges teachers, students and their families face today. As the Director and Principal of the Malta Leadership Institute, Jesmond believes that education should take a more holistic and comprehensive approach, with longer-lasting benefits.

Originally educated as a counsellor, Jesmond soon found himself teaching in a church school and training learning support educators. He soon developed a passion for education. Working with the Directorate for Educational Services allowed him to learn more about the inner workings of the Maltese education system and see potential gaps.

“On top of that, I went to study abroad,” Jesmond says. “Seeing other education systems gave me a chance to compare and contrast our education system with others.” These experiences and his observations back home in Malta informed his insights into education here and ideas on how to improve learning for people of all ages.

“When we’re teaching school-age children, our overall goal remains the same,” Jesmond explains. “We want to form and develop the whole person.” The goal may be the same, but the circumstances and lifestyle of students have changed dramatically over the past few decades.

“Parents in Malta are bringing up their children well,” says Jesmond. “But today’s children are exposed to far more outside influences compared to 30 years ago. We tend to be more spontaneous and impulsive, and perhaps some parents spoil their kids.”

“As educators, we need to instil a sense of resilience and toughness which today’s children will need to succeed in the workplace. I feel that this is missing from our current education system.”

According to Jesmond, one of the constraints on the Maltese system is its dependency on the English model of education. “It’s limiting our system, and we are not doing enough to stimulate critical thinking, proactivity and creativity in our students,” he says.

While that may sound like a fairly negative view, Jesmond is quick to highlight the strengths of the existing system. “We are strong academically,” he says. “We also have dedicated teachers who love what they do, love children and are very knowledgeable. Our system of education needs to do more to not let them down but rather motivate and retain them.”

The fragmented nature of current education is making it harder to do the best for teachers, students and their families. “Currently, most schools start at 8.30 and finish around 13.30 or 14.00. This 5.5-hour day is not enough to cover subjects like arts, dance and music in sufficient depth,” Jesmond explains. “We’re relying on parents to fill in those gaps in the afternoon. In some cases, that would come at a significant cost.”

Jesmond Friggieri also points to the practical issues caused by the current system, forcing one parent to interrupt or leave their work to pick up children from school. “Not every employer can offer this sort of flexibility,” Jesmond says.

While the current curriculum focuses on academic excellence, there is not enough time for social and creative aspects of education. “Longer hours would allow us to take a more integrated approach,” Jesmond says. “Apart from offering additional subjects, a longer school day could include extracurricular activities and allow time for homework, for example. As a result, children get home from school and are ready for family time.”

The approach may be controversial, but balancing academic knowledge with applied skills throughout the day would let educators deliver a more rounded education. In addition, Jesmond believes it is important to give teachers the tools they need to control their classrooms.

“We’re in a situation where some teachers may be afraid of the parents’ reaction if they assert themselves in the classroom,” Jesmond explains. “This shouldn’t be happening. We need to give teachers the tools they need to address challenging behaviours. For example, teachers can discipline children by giving them choices.”

At the same time, Jesmond believes that students need to be seen as more than passive pupils in a classroom, waiting for someone to give them knowledge and skills. “It’s time to transition to a view of students as active learners who can contribute to their own education.”

Recent reforms have contributed towards pushing the Maltese education system in this direction, but they have not yet taken full effect in every school. Jesmond Friggieri believes that creating a more widely integrated education system that takes into account cognitive, physical and psycho-social aspects of learning will help students perform better.

He also believes that introducing concepts like work-life balance and separating home life from school activities is important to form students. By adding this type of applied knowledge to the curriculum, students can lay the foundations for the rest of their lives in one place.

The Malta Leadership Institute contributes towards this goal by expanding its reach and continuing to develop research in the field. The results of that research contribute to teacher training, curriculum creation and the development of the Maltese education system as a whole.

In five to ten years, Jesmond Friggieri hopes to see students excel in academics and in the practical application of theoretical knowledge, truly preparing them to succeed in their chosen careers. He also hopes that more adults will embrace the idea of life-long learning, allowing them to take advantage of opportunities they may never have considered when they first left school.

Creating a more integrated education system that incorporates academic knowledge, practical application of theories as well as psycho-social elements can give students of all ages an advantage.