Overview of Education System
The Ministry for Education and Employment is responsible for education in Malta, with equity and inclusion underscoring the government’s objective of providing high quality education for all. Commitment to these principles is demonstrated by inclusivity at all levels and by the provision of free public school education to all, from kindergarten to the tertiary level. The government also subsidizes church schools, which do not charge tuition fees, while parents whose children attend schools in the independent sector benefit from tax rebates.
The Education Act of 1988 is the legal framework regulating education provision in Malta.1 A 2006 amendment to the act established two directorates: the Directorate for Educational Services and the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education. The Directorate for Educational Services plans, manages, and provides resources and services to state schools, while the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education establishes and monitors standards and the quality of programs and services provided in state and nonstate (i.e., church and independent) schools. The amended Education Act further decentralized decision making by forming college networks in the state sector.2 There are 10 college networks, having a common legal framework but a distinct identity and consisting of multiple preprimary centers, primary schools, and at least two secondary schools.
The Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education is responsible for formulating, implementing, and monitoring the curriculum. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), which guides education provision in compulsory schooling in Malta, was launched in 2012 to address the gaps in Malta’s learning processes by shifting the emphasis of classroom instruction from teaching the subject to teaching the learner.3 The NCF is presented with a lifelong learning perspective and celebrates diversity by catering to all learners at each stage of their educational journey. It aims to introduce greater equity and decentralization to the national education system while seeking to present a seamless curriculum that emphasizes smooth transitions and building on firm foundations laid in early childhood education. In essence, the NCF aims to provide quality education for all learners, encourage student enrollment in further and higher education, and reduce the percentage of early school leavers.
The NCF proposed a Learning Outcomes Framework (LOF) as the keystone for learning and assessment throughout compulsory schooling. The aim of the LOF is to free schools and learners from centrally imposed, knowledge centric syllabi in order to give schools the freedom to develop programs that fulfill the objectives of knowledge, attitudes, and skills based outcomes to which all learners in Malta are entitled. The LOF is intended to create greater curricular autonomy for colleges and schools, allowing them to better address the learning needs of their students. In February 2014, the Framework for the Education Strategy for Malta 2014–2024 was launched with the aim of aligning in a coherent and comprehensive manner all strategies, policies, and plans being implemented by the Ministry for Education and Employment.4
Compulsory education in Malta covers ages 5 to 16 and comprises three main cycles: Early Years (ages 5 to 7), Junior Years (ages 7 to 11), and Secondary Years (ages 11 to 16). Prior to the start of primary education, there is provision for early childhood education and care through the Free Childcare for All scheme, established in April 2014 for children ages 0 to 3 and through kindergarten for children ages 3 to 5. Although preprimary education is not compulsory, attendance is very high and reaches 100 percent between ages 4 and 5.
Parallel to the public education sector, the nonstate sector is composed of church and independent schools. All primary state schools are coeducational, while state secondary schools began being phased into a coeducational setting over a period of five years during the 2014–2015 school year.
Following compulsory education, students can choose to follow a general or vocational educational path. Two year general education courses leading to tertiary education are provided by the state or by nonstate educational institutions. As an alternative, students may pursue vocational courses at two state educational institutions, the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology and the Institute of Tourism Studies. Tertiary education is provided by the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology.