The Minister for Education, Louis Galea, yesterday launched a major review of the Matsec examinations, saying one of his aims was to have all students leave school with some kind of certification under their belts.
Every year, about 1,000 fifth formers do not sit for Secondary Education Certificate exams, which means they finish 11 years of compulsory education with nothing to show for it.
The minister suggested that the SEC exams could be made compulsory so that every school-leaver would be in possession of a certificate showing the academic level attained and skills learned.
A team appointed to review the Matsec exams, at both SEC (ordinary) and Matriculation (advanced) levels, will study this and other possible improvements to the system.
The review also aims to bring the exams in line with the 2000 national minimum curriculum and with the demands of the workplace.
It will also keep in mind the EU target of having, by 2010, 85 per cent of all 22-year-olds completing some form of post-secondary education. The exams system should be able to facilitate the reaching of this target by Malta, the minister said, adding that the current figure was 54 per cent.
"Since they replaced the British O and A Levels in 1991, the Matsec exams have won recognition and respect both here and abroad. However, the time has come to evaluate the system with a view to improving it. We have to examine our present needs and the standards we want to attain," Dr Galea said.
"We must strive to create a new philosophy for our schools based on the entitlement of all children to a quality education. This does not apply only to subject content but to modes of assessment. The two are intricately intertwined.
"We need to evaluate the impact our examination systems have on our children, their families, the schools and the workforce. This needs to be done so as to make the necessary improvements to the system that will ensure that our students emerge from their educational experience better equipped with skills that will lead them to contributing positively and effectively to our society."
Dr Galea has appointed a core group to carry out the review over an 18-month period, guided by the policies of the national curriculum and by practices abroad.
The group is made up of Grace Grima, who will coordinate; Frank Ventura, the chairman of the Matsec Examinations Board; Fr Salvu Chircop, an expert in assessment from the University of Malta, and Ray Camilleri, the Education Division's director of curriculum management.
The group will look at the current operations of Matsec, carry out an impact assessment, look into the aspect of quality assurance, review Matsec's objectives and draw up a report outlining possible alternative structures and services.
There will be broad consultation with teachers, heads, academics, industry, unions and other stakeholders, including students.
Dr Galea expects that administrative changes will start to take place within three years but gave his assurance that changes to the exam system proper will not happen overnight. In any case, he said, those about to start Form 3, where subject and other choices are made, would need at least two years' notice of any changes.