1. What does PSD mean to you?

I see PSD as a liberating subject, in that it gives students and pupils the chance to be critical thinkers, to express their own opinions, to share experiences and to feel part of the learning experience. The experiential component in PSD emphasizes the development of skills and attitudes as opposed to other subjects which address only content. Why am I attracted to PSD? When I was a student, life for me in school was never easy, I had to work very hard to obtain average results and this frustrated me a lot and therefore I was never fond of school. My nice experiences in school are not the ones sitting down and trying to figure out what the teacher is saying or the endless hours studying at home but the times I spend playing in the school ground under the rain, the times when we had activities or played in the games room. When I came into contact with PSD I realized that such a subject could have a good impression on students because it had a liberating effect on me as well. It is difficult to say what PSD really means to me, but the fact that I endeavoured to become an Education Officer for the subject means that it is something very important to me and it gives me and has given me a lot of satisfaction.

 2. How could PSD be effective in children's lives?

Local studies ( Muscat:2006 and Borg & Triganza Scott:2007) have shown that PSD is a subject that students like because they feel that they are allowed to be themselves and therefore are able to share their ideas and opinions, take part in discussions and activities. They find the topics interesting and stimulating. PSD is student oriented and therefore the topics and themes revolve around the needs of the students and not the other way round. I feel that PSD has managed to remain relevant because it has managed to adapt to the increasingly changing needs of the students and pupils in the classrooms. The PSD syllabus was formulated keeping in mind the developmental needs of the pupils and students and therefore all the topics address the needs and concerns of student population. However effectiveness of the topic also depends on the PSD teacher/facilitator who has to have the right attitude and approach when facilitating PSD lessons.

 3. Are there any targets for the future regarding PSD (such as teacher training, in-service training etc.)?

If PSD is to remain effective it has also to adapt to the new challenges being faced by pupils and students today. One of the main targets we are working on is that of introducing a greater component of career education within the PSD syllabus. This is because career education complements and reinforces the distinctive contributions of PSD in that it provides the right context for the teaching of such a topic. Other projects include the production of new resources and evaluation and updating of existing ones, and the creation of a lending resource library.

 4. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think PSD has come a long way because a lot of people have contributed in their own way to promote and push the subject forward. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked so hard during the years and others who are dedicating their time to keep the association going. I wish also to thank all the teachers who give their best to make the experience of the pupils and students in class an experience to remember.