A visit to Fareham Tertiary College, Fareham, U.K.

Abstract

As part of the course leading to the Diploma in Educational Administration and Management, we were presented with the opportunity of visiting a foreign school and formulating a report on the visit, instead of the customary long essay. Our course co-ordinator, Professor Charles Farrugia, and our lecturer, Mr. Joseph Muscat, told us that they had a contact in the U.K. who was ready to provide schools that were prepared to accept us at their premises. One of our group had to volunteer to act as a "group leader" and make all the necessary arrangements. I was chosen by my colleagues for the job, and immediately got involved in setting up the visit. I started corresponding with Mr. Ken Lambert, our U.K. contact. Ken is a retired headmaster and lecturer, and is very much interested in educational administration. I visited him at his home in Portsmouth in August, and was made very welcome by him and his wife. He provided me with a list of schools, which were divided into three sections, namely: primary, secondary, and college institutions. I could thus assign persons to each section according to their preference. Having done this, Ken was then able to forward the names to the schools concerned. Each person was to spend two weeks at a school, shadowing the administrative and educational staff as they went about fulfilling their daily duties. Back in Malta I had some other matters to clear up. A return group flight to Gatwick airport, insurance for everybody, transfers from the airport to the hotel, a comfortable hotel to accommodate the whole group, and last but not least, the necessary permission by the local education authorities. This last item proved to be the most hectic. Originally it was planned that we visit the U.K. at the beginning of their scholastic year, which starts a few days before ours, thus the last week of our holidays and the first week of our scholastic year. Head Office complained about this management, as it was found preferable that teachers should start the year with their students. After being given an appointment with the Director General of Education we discussed the matter. He was very helpful and suggested that we postpone our visit for the beginning of November, starting on our mid-term holidays and continuing in the following days. This suggestion was taken up, and also proved better for the schools in England, as they preferred having us at this time instead of at the beginning of the year; when they would have lots of teething problems to settle. It was also easier for me to find cheaper flights and accommodation. I arranged for accommodation at a three-star hotel in the middle of Portsmouth, set along a main route for buses, and within walking distance of the train station. A number of restaurants were situated in the surrounding area. The hotel could provide a good English breakfast which would make for a great start in the morning. The best thing about the hotel was that we could book the whole premises, and be able to share experiences and help each other in the difficulties that arose from day to day. On the day of our arrival we were briefed by Mr. Lambert as to the type of school that we were to attend, the catchment area of the school and thus the environment of the school itself. This proved very helpful as everybody was given a picture of what to expect on his/her arrival at the premises. Afterwards I briefed the group on the type of transport that each person could avail himself of, the types of tickets available, and how to buy them. To carry on the analogy with a tour leader, I also provided the group with an itinerary of possible visits to places of interest in the area. We employed our free time to visit places such as the Admiralty Naval Yard and Maritime museums, the Cathedral (mentioned in the 'Guinness Book of Records' as the building that took the longest time to construct; although parts of it are centuries old it was only finished two years ago.), the Town Hall, the ramparts and fortifications, and the modem shopping centres. We also spent a day at the Isle of Wright, taking a boat from Portsmouth's harbour 'The Hard', where life is completely different from the mainland, where the greenery is much more abundant, and life is somewhat more relaxed. We also visited the nearby town of Winchester, with the famous Winchester Cathedral, and the water meadows. This included the museum dedicated to King Arthur, and the Round Table itself; hanging along one of its walls. I also took the opportunity of travelling to London by British Rail for a most hectic day. Some of us quickly became friends with our British colleagues and we had some of them coming over to our hotel. We were all invited to a party in our honour by one of the heads. The family atmosphere which reigned on our visit contributed to the success of the venture. The discussions held in the evenings, over dinner in a restaurant or over a jug of beer in a quiet pub, ensured that we all keep constantly in mind the aims and motivations that had made us undertake this visit. I believe that with our professional behaviour we contributed towards the fulfilment of both academic and practical knowledge, without forgetting the cultural side of life. Both as an organiser and member of the group I would like to thank all the participants, the course co-ordinator: Professor C. Farrugia, for his initiative and encouragement and Mr. J. Muscat, University representative, who accompanied us on the visit and assisted in its success.