Virtual Education Symposium

Louis Zabaneh

Are your children getting the most out of the time they spend with their teachers in the classroom? This is the question that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology sought to explore during its Virtual Symposium. The event looked at what is happening at the early childhood level, including Special Education, and the needs of Technical Vocational Education curricula. Minister of State Louis Zabaneh says it is time to do something different.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of State, Education, Culture, Science & Technology

“We have been over the years experimenting with various things and what we have tried have not worked, to the extent that we see consistently stagnant scores. We see relatively poor performance on average as students move through the education system. By the time they reach the workplace, whether it is after graduating high school or six form, or UB, we hear from our employers that our graduates have great difficulties, communicating clearly, writing properly, exhibiting good analytical and critical thinking skills. And so, these are things that reflect on what it is we have in place. So, I believe that there is a general consensus that we need to improve what we have. My perspective starts at the very base of today’s discussion for the education system, looking at indeed, what we are doing with the hours that we are spending in the classroom or even virtually now. We have a limited amount of time from the time students arrive until they leave. The question is: are we optimizing that time? Are students getting the best of those hours that they are in contact with teachers? And clearly the answer is that there is much to be desired. We need to rethink what we are doing.”