ICT teachers to receive more training

A programme to provide ongoing training to teachers of ICT, run jointly by the Education Ministry and Dingli's Swatar Training Centre, was launched during a recent open day held at the centre.

The aim of the initiative is to ensure ICT teachers stay up to date by helping them gain wider practical skills and develop an understanding of where the industry is going.

Around 600 prospective students and their families learned about STC's lead role in information and communication technologies during the open day.

Speaking at the event, Education Minister Louis Galea praised the initiative of the Department of Technology in Education through which 24 secondary schools are integrating ICT into their school development plans.

Dr Galea spoke about the e-Twinning programme in which students, together with their teachers, embark on a project with other European schools.

The subjects of these projects can be anything that the teachers involved deem to be of interest and educational.

E-Twinning not only helps the students practice their IT skills but encourages the use of various languages and the sharing of different cultures, the Minister said.

Swatar's chief executive Patrick Pullicino said it was no small feat for teachers to continually update their knowledge pool as the ICT industry was fast moving and dynamic.

"It is, however, essential that we look at the way we train our trainers if we are to equip our young people with the know-how to help them, and the country, compete internationally for jobs and business," he added.

STC, he said, is an ideal partner to deliver the programme as it requires the majority of its own trainers to be industry practitioners. The centre itself is backed by MITTS and Nucleus Training International Ltd, a collaborative venture comprising some 14 IT firms.

STC's competence in course delivery is closely monitored by its accreditation partners and the centre has frequently been among their star performers worldwide for excellence in training.

Summing up STC's track record, Mr Pullicino said this year had already seen another important milestone for STC with the NCC Education Award for Academic Excellence.

At the end of the year, for the first time some 50 STC students will go to the UK for their BSc (Hons) graduation at London Metropolitan University.

Managing director of NCC Education UK David Pottinger said STC Malta never failed to impress for the quality of its students.

"This is the fourth year in a row that the high achiever award has gone to students from these islands," he said.