Kwalità għolja

F’diskors riċenti, il-Gvernatur tal-Bank Ċentrali l-Professur Bonnici għamel sew li semma kif pajjiżna telaq fit-triq it-tajba hu u jara kif jinkoraġġixxi servizzi relattivament “ġodda” bħal fl-oqsma tal-edukazzjoni għolja u tas-saħħa.

Biss nibża’ li m’aħniex inqisu biżżejjed kemm irridu nattrezzaw ruħna aħjar f’riżorsi umani jekk sejrin nisiltu benefiċċji serji mill-iżvilupp ta’ dawn is-servizzi. Fuq quddiem, il-problema hi li s-sistema edukattiva mhijiex tipproduċi biżżejjed żgħażagħ imħarrġa tajjeb fix-xjenzi, l-ilsna u l-informatika. Qed nilludu ruħna wisq bil-persentaġġ rispettabbli ħafna ta’ żgħażagħ li huma tassew eċċellenti f’dawn l-oqsma. Biss magħhom neħtieġu persentaġġ akbar ta’ oħrajn li jkunu kompetenti fis-suġġetti meħtieġa.

Kif ta’ spiss jemfasiżża l-Ministru tal-Edukazzjoni Bartolo, imqabbla ma’ pajjiżi Ewropej oħra, għandna wisq żgħażagħ li jitilqu kmieni mill-iskola jew li joħorġu minnha bla livell adekwat ta’ edukazzjoni.

Ma rridux nispiċċaw li s-servizzi ġodda li semma l-Professur Bonnici jiġu fostna iva, imma jimpjegaw ċittadini ta’ pajjiżi oħra għax ma jsibux Maltin.

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Kriterji doppji

Smajt uffiċjal governattiv imdaħħal fit-twettieq ta’ libertajiet ċivili u miżuri kontra d-diskriminazzjoni jilmenta mill-imġiba tal-midja hekk imsejħa indipendenti. Skont hu, japplikaw kriterji doppji fil-qasam li jinteressah.

Minn naħa, jippriedkaw il-valuri tat-tolleranza u tar-rispett lejn iċ-ċittadini kollha. Jistqarruhom editorjalment. Imbagħad, speċjalment meta jippublikaw rapportaġġi u artikli online, li jirriflettu dawn il-valuri u kif għandhom jitħaddmu, jippermettu fil-kolonni tal-kummenti bombardament ta’ stqarrijiet dispreġjattivi, uħud qrib ħafna dak li jissejjaħ “diskors ta’ mibegħda”.

Mhux qed jagħmlu dan f’isem il-libertà tal-espressjoni? saqsejtu.

Weġibni: L-aqwa midja Ewropej qed idaħħlu fil-verżjonijiet on line tagħhom limitazzjonjiet qawwija fuq dak li jinkiteb fil-kolonni tal-kummenti ħalli jiżguraw li f’dak li joħroġ, kitbu min kitbu, ma jidhirx materjal li jinkoraġġixxi d-diskriminazzjoni u l-mibegħda.

Ħsibtu qed jeżaġera. Meta ċċekkajt sibt li kien korrett f’li qal.

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Terrur?

It-theddida terroristika fuq l-Ewropa mhix se tiddgħajjef malajr.

Se tkun meħtieġa viġilanza qawwija u soda. Il-konvenjenza ta’ ħafna se tiġi affettwata b’mod negattiv, imma m’hemmx alternattiva.

Jeżisti ċans “tajjeb” li t-terroristi jirnexxilhom għal drabi oħra jwettqu l-attakki tagħhom. Qed ikunu perikolużi aktar minn qatt qabel għax għall-ewwel darba fl-Ewropa, fost l-attakkanti qed ikun hemm il-kamikaże. Diffiċli tilqa’ għalihom kull fejn jistgħu jitfaċċaw.

Fiċ-ċirkostanzi, ikun politikament inaċċettabbli – fil-verità grottesk – kull diskors li jsir fil-midja jew f’fora oħra li b’xi mod jekwipara lill-organizzazzjoni li qed tibgħat lill-attakkanti terroristi, id-Daex, ma’ xi stat leġittimu, la fil-qafas ta’ kif titimexxa d-difiża kontra l-ħidmiet tad-Daex, u wisq anqas fit-trattament li għandu jiġi kkunsidrat lejha.

English Version – High quality

In a recent speech, the Governor of the Central Bank Professor Bonnici rightly pointed out that the island has done well in seeking to encourage the establishment of relatively “new” service activities, like for higher education and health care.

However I fear we are underestimating the improvement in the quality of our human resources that we need to ensure, if we are to reap worthwhile benefits from the development of such services. Foremost, the problem is that the educational system is failing to supply enough young people witha good training in sciences, languages and information technology. We are letting ourselves be too impressed by the respectable percentage of young people we have who are truly excellent in these departments. However, alongside them we also need a larger percentage of young people who just have competence in the indicated areas.

Education Minister Bartolo has repeatedly stressed the point: compared to other European countries, we have too many young people who leave school early or who do so without achieving an adequate level of education.

It wouldn’t be such a good deal if yes, the new services mentioned by Professor Bonnici do come to Malta, but they end up employing the citizens of other countries for lack of suitable local staff.

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Double standards

I listened to a government official involved in the implementation of civil liberties and anti-discrimination measures complain about the approach of the so-called independent media. According to him, in the sectors he deals with, they apply double standards.

On the one hand, the media preach the values of tolerance and respect for all citizens, stating this editorially. Then, especially when reports and articles which reflect these values, and how they are to be implemented, are featured on line, the same media allow in their comments columns, barrages of denigratory inputs, some of which come close to what is known as hate speech.

Surely, I said, they do so in order to allow freedom of expression?

He replied: The best European media have introduced in their on line versions, strong limitations on what can appear in their comments columns to ensure that in whatever is published, and no matter who wrote it, there is no text which encourages discrimination and hate.

I thought he was exagerrating. When I checked, I found his facts correct.

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Terror?

The terrorist threat in Europe will not diminish overnight.

Vigilance, strong and determined, must be the order of the day. Many will find they are being inconvenienced in their daily lives, but that’s how it has to be.

A “good” probability exists that terrorists will succeed on further occasions to mount their attacks. Their operations have become more dangerous and threatening, since for the first time in Europe, kamikaze attacks are being organized. It is difficult to cover all situations where they could arise.

In the present circumstances, it is politically unacceptable – indeed grotesque – to discuss what is happening, in the media or wherever, using terms that place the organization launching the terrorist atacks, Daesh, on the same footing as any legitimate state. This holds both in discussions regarding how to organize the defence against Daesh operations, and even more so when reviewing how to deal with the organization.