National reform programme 2008-2010 Malta - European Commission

Education and Training
The Maltese compulsory education system is currently being reformed in order to make it
more flexible to respond to the individual needs of the student who is placed at the centre of
the system. The former Education Division, as a central government department, was
responsible both for the administration and management of State schools and for the
monitoring and the quality assurance of all schools, State and non-State, providing an
educational service from kindergarten through primary and secondary education up to the
compulsory education age of 16.
The Education Act, amended in 2006, provides for two directorates with distinct roles and
functions, though complementary to each other:
1. the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education which is responsible for quality
assurance of all schools providing an educational service from kindergarten through
primary and secondary education up to the compulsory education age of 16, and
2. the Directorate for Educational Services which provides for the central overall
management of the State education system up to the end of compulsory education.
Curriculum Review
In January 2008, Government announced the initiation of a consultation process to draw up a
National Curriculum Framework for early childhood, primary and secondary education, as
stipulated in the amended Education Act of 2006, to replace the current National Minimum
Curriculum. The process, which started in April 2008, will produce a national curriculum
framework with updated aims and objectives, among other features, for the different
educational phases. This will provide a clear vision for all sectors especially in the College
network recently set up within the state school sector, in making curriculum related decisions.
It is envisaged that this document will be completed in 2009 and will be followed by a public
consultation process. The final document will be then published by 2010.
Core Competencies Policy and Strategy
In March 2008, the Maltese Government launched a process to draw up a policy and strategic
plan which addresses the acquisition of core competencies. The focus is on numeric and
digital literacy for all pupils in the primary cycle. This measure ensures the early identification
of pupils who are facing challenges in acquiring these skills and subsequent early intervention
to ensure the acquisition of such competencies by the end of the primary cycle.
The policy and the strategic plan will be available to Colleges in 2008/2009. This document
will then be refined taking into consideration the feedback received during the first year of
implementation. This measure will ensure that all pupils are literate in these basic
competencies at primary level and therefore have full access to curricular opportunities at
secondary and post-secondary levels.
Review of the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education
At the end of the primary cycle within the State sector pupils sit for a national examination
which determines which type of secondary school they attend (either Junior Lyceum or
Secondary school). Around 60% of pupils make it to the Junior Lyceum which is the more
academic of the two types. Entry into several boys’ Church secondary schools involves a
different selective examination. The recently set-up College system, whereby pupils from a
number of primary schools in the same region feed into one boys’ and one girls’ secondary
school the infrastructure, allows for a more inclusive system. The results of a review that
address selectivity, and the transition process, are being discussed at Ministerial level. A
public consultation process is planned for the third quarter 2008 and decisions will be taken
by the end of 2008. A number of interim measures are planned for 2009 and 2010.
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