National reform programme 2008-2010 Malta - European Commission

• Malta Government Scholarship Schemes 56 ;
• Specific actions are being undertaken with a view to respond to skills required for the
future. Examples of areas being addressed include ICT skills, research and innovation
and health amongst others.
Lifelong Learning
Malta has registered marginal progress in lifelong learning. The rate of adults engaged in
lifelong learning increased from 4.5% in 2000 to 6% in 2007 57 . This result is encouraging
however Government needs to further invest and promote lifelong learning.
Government’s strategy is to promote the importance of private investment and private
consumption of education and training within the mainstream adult population. In addition,
Government will also assist and provide training and retraining opportunities in priority areas
in particular those related to the needs of the unemployed.
Within this context, the University of Malta and MCAST provide a range of formal and informal
training programmes on a part-time basis after regular hours, in a bid to extend access to
higher education to those who are in employment.
In addition, Government also intends to open schools after school hours with a view to
transform these into community learning centres as stipulated by the amendments to the
Education Act in 2006.
Paradigm shift to a Developmental Model of Education
Currently, the Maltese educational system is focusing at end of cycle examinations at primary,
secondary and post-secondary levels. Several initiatives are taking place to ensure a
paradigm shift to a developmental model whereby students’ needs, skills and potential are
developed to the fullest. Such initiatives include: the transition from primary to secondary
education, the curriculum review and the review of the local examination system at ages 16
and 18. These initiatives are targeted to develop an inclusive system of education, to widen
the education experiences of school age children and to certify a range of skills and levels
wider than what is currently available. The current reforms will be implementing these
changes gradually.
eLearning Strategy – training the education workforce
In December 2007, Government launched ”A Smart Learning Strategy”. The strategy focuses
on three strands, namely: infrastructure in schools, teachers’ and students’ skills and
resources. Within this context a number of actions will be pursued. These include:
• the provision of laptops to all teachers in state schools by 2008;
• raising the learner/computer ratio to 4:1 in all educational setups within the compulsory
state school sector by 2009;
• introduce high speed internet connectivity in all state schools by 2010;
• the procurement of an eLearning platform;
56 Since 2006 the Malta Government Scholarship Schemes (MGSS) sponsored 29 scholars to follow studies at a
doctoral level and 55 at a Masters level. [Source (Policy Development and Policy Implementation Directorate
Statistics, MEYE)
57
Life-long learning by gender - Percentage of the adult population aged 25 to 64 participating in education and
training – EuroStat. Available online from:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=0&language=en&pcode=tsiem080 .
[Abstracted on: 19 September 2008]
Malta National Reform Programme 2008-2010 - 79 -