Aspects of education in children in depressed areas in Malta

Abstract

This study deals with some aspects of education received in the home as well as in school. The group studied consists of Primary School children coming from areas selected by means of criteria indicating a 'poor' environment. The study begins with a broad look at how a child develops psychologically, the needs that have to be satisfied and the consequences if these needs are not met. In the second chapter, the various aspects of 'poor' environment were discussed and a detailed explanation of poverty, the sub-culture and the various aspects of environment that have direct influence on a family namely the cultural, material, emotional and. motivational aspects - were given. This is followed by an introduction to the method that was used in the study, that is, the Interviews, and to the way the questions of the Interviews were formulated in order to obtain information which would focus on aspects of opportunities for education afforded by home environment in the families of children studied. The areas which were called "Quality Time", "Success in Life" and "Concepts of Education and Schooling" were discussed and analyzed globally for all the thirteen families. Brief individual studies to bring out the relationship between home environment and school attainment were also made. Some tentative conclusions relevant to Education and Social Work were drawn.