Education in Malta
Education in Malta is
Malta's educational system is divided into four stages: pre-primary (ages 3–5), primary (ages 5–11), secondary (ages 11–16) and tertiary. Pre-primary education is optional but fully funded by the state. In their last ten years of primary education, students are placed on tracks based on educational attainment, and at the age of eleven, students sit an
History
While education in Malta dates back to the period of Arab rule between 870 and 1090 through the introduction of
The ejection of the
Under Government Ponsonby, in 1833, the Catholic Church in Malta was staunchly against public education; the only effort done by the
During
Statistics
In 2008, 26,711 primary students, 25,793 secondary students, 5,719 post-secondary students, 9,472 tertiary students and 6,268 vocational students were enrolled in educational courses in Malta.[10] Approximately 30 per cent of students of school age attend private schools, most of which are operated by the Catholic Church.[11] In 2009, 34.9 per cent of the population between 18 and 24 years of age had not completed secondary school,[12] while in 2008 92 per cent of the population was considered literate.[13] Malta ranks equal eleventh in the world on the national IQ scale.[14]
The compulsory education period in Malta has been between five and 16 years of age since the introduction of the Education Act 1988.[1] This is an increase from up to 12 years of age in 1924 (in this year, school attendance became compulsory for those already enrolled - the act of enrollment itself was not compulsory) and 14 years of age in 1946, when compulsory school attendance was introduced for all students, enrolled or otherwise. Compulsory schooling has always applied to both males and females during its existence.[15]
Structure
School education
Schooling is compulsory from the age of five,
Formal end-of-year examinations commence starting in Year 4 to dictate class streaming arrangements for the following year. Students are examined in English, Maltese, mathematics, religion and social studies. Despite the fact that
State-run junior lyceums and area secondary schools are single-sex. Junior lyceums are divided into two grade stages. The first stage is an introductory stage, and runs for the first two years of secondary schooling. Students study essentially the same subjects with very limited curriculum options in order to provide a good grounding for future studies. Following the two-year introductory cycle, a three-year specialist stage occurs during which students study a common core curriculum as well as a number of elective subjects. This orientation is similar at area secondary schools, although the introductory period is longer, at three years in duration, and the final specialist period is shorter, at two years. The staff-student ratio is set at 1:11, and the school leaving age is 16.[17]
Examinations in Maltese secondary schools are taken at both age 16 and 18, with the latter being a final optional set of matriculation examinations. The examinations taken at age 16 are the Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) exams, which have operated since 1994, before which the
Day-to-day operation
A number of students travel to school using the nation's bus network, which is free for state school students to use.[22] Schools in Malta generally begin their school day at 8:30am and finish at 2:40pm.[23] Students receive three days of holidays in November 15 days of holidays over Christmas, two days of holidays in March and eight days of holidays in April, in addition to public holidays.[24] Maltese school students receive the highest number of days off of all school students in Europe, with 90 days during the 2010–11 academic year being non-school days. This is 14 days more than the European average of 76.[25] Virtually all Maltese state schools run tuck shops, while some secondary schools are home to cafeterias.[26]
State schools provide textbooks free of charge to their students, while private schools generally require their students to pay for their textbooks, enabling the latter to change their textbooks and textbook editions more frequently. All primary schools have at least four computers, one printer, a large monitor and a teacher's laptop computer in their classrooms, while many secondary schools have specialised rooms necessary to teach subjects such as Home Economics and Food Technology. An average of 22.5 students are enrolled per primary school class, with the average rising to 24.3 in secondary school classes. Primary school teachers are expected to dedicate five hours per week to each of Maltese, English and mathematics, one hour per week to science, two hours per weeks to arts and crafts, two hours per week to social studies, one hour and 15 minutes per week to social studies, and two and a half hours per week to physical education and religion. State school syllabi at the secondary level are set by the local examination bodies.[26]
Tertiary education
Under the Education Act of 1988, the
Educational management
Administration
State-run education in Malta is administered at the national level of government, with the Minister for Education empowered to make orders, or 'Legal Notices', relating to the administration of education throughout the country. The Minister for Education is appointed by the President on advice of the Prime Minister and is responsible for a number of education-related government functions (such as the operation of schools and libraries) as well as tertiary education in the country. The Ministry of Education, the national government department responsible for education in Malta, is headed by a Permanent Secretary. The Education Division of the Ministry is responsible for setting a number of annual nationwide examinations, managing human resources in Malta's educational system, selecting school textbook lists, allocating students to schools based on area, managing the Ministry's educational finances and promoting a number of cultural, sporting and social activities. Malta's Ministry of Education is currently being decentralised with the aim of having schools managed at the local level.[15]
With the exception of the currently occurring educational management decentralisation process, regional administration of education in Malta is limited. However, the island of Gozo does maintain a form of regional educational administration through the Ministry for Gozo. Although the Ministry for Education manages education throughout Malta, the Ministry for Gozo is responsible for the remuneration of the island's teaching staff. Local authorities such as Malta's numerous Local Councils have no official ties to Malta's educational system but often donate to local schools and maintain preschool building structures.[15]
Teacher development
Primary and secondary school teachers begin their teacher education at the
In 2019, teachers entering the workforce are paid a minimum of €23,936 per year, with the most experienced teachers being paid €27,340 per year after 18 years of service.
Further reading
- Cedefop (2017). Vocational education and training in Malta: short description. Luxembourg: Publications Office. http://dx.doi.org/10.2801/42549
- Fiorini Collegium Melitense Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
See also
References
- ^ . Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ a b "History of the University". University of Malta. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ p. 22
- ^ Markham, J. David (2010). "The Revolution, Napoleon, and education". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Melita Historica (New Series) 12(1996)1(47-74) La societá delle scuole normali della Valletta: a brief historical backdrop. Joe Debono". Archived from the original on 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- ISSN 1726-9725.
- ^ p. 95
- ^ http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/Melita%20Historica/MH.05(1968-71)/MH.5(1968)3/orig06.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Elementary education in Malta during the early British period". 25 January 2015.
- ISBN 978-99909-73-99-0. Archived from the originalon November 13, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ISBN 92-871-2873-1. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ISBN 978-99909-73-99-0. Archived from the originalon November 13, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ "At a glance: Malta". UNICEF. 2010. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Lynn, Richard. "National IQ scores - country rankings". Countries of the World. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e The education system in Malta (PDF). European Commission. 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ Sultana, Ronald (1997). "Education in Malta: an overview". Valletta: PEG Publishers. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4020-4868-5.
- ISBN 978-0-471-69977-4. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-84787-466-5. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ISBN 0-7391-0798-4. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Grima, Grace. "The Secondary Education Certificate Examination in Malta: An Evaluation of the Differentiated Paper System" (PDF). University of Malta. Archived from the original on October 9, 2006. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Using school transport". Dolceta.eu. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ Markus, Deborah (Spring 2009). "A letter from Malta". Secular Homeschooling Magazine. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Organisation of school time in Europe" (PDF). European Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ Calleja, Stephen. "'No correlation' between number of holidays and academic excellence". The Malta Independent. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
- ^ a b "Malta?! - a guide to education and vocational training". Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ "Prospective students". University of Malta. 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Doe, John (2017-10-09). "Conditions of Service for Teachers Working in Early Childhood and School Education". Eurydice - European Commission. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- ^ 2014. [ebook] Naxxar: ANSEK, p.415. Available at: http://www.ansek.org.mt/resources/files/Estimates_2014_1403112621.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2020].