Minister wants nine in 10 students in sixth form by 2015

The government plans to increase the number of students who continue post-secondary studies from 60 to 90 per cent by 2015, although it is aware of the infrastructure and other factors required to cater for such a growth.

Talking yesterday about the government's strategy in the field of education and training as outlined in its pre-budget document, and the new educational system that is being implemented, Education Minister Louis Galea said the number of students between the ages of 20 and 24 had increased by 12 per cent over three years (2002-2005), while early school leavers had decreased by 14 per cent over the same period.

The plan was also for the university to grow its number of foreign fee-paying students from 1,000 to 5,000 by 2015, increasing not only the number of "tourists", but also funding to help make it more independent and be able to improve its programmes.

Dr Galea said the government would be identifying the land and financial resources necessary for the university to build a number of specialised centres of international standards.

Meanwhile, it had allocated a "token" of Lm600,000 in June to continue strengthening its financial situation. The setting up of a University Trust Fund, which would encourage the private sector and public entities to invest in it, was also being considered.

Another target was for the Malta College for the Arts, Science and Technology to double its number of students in the space of seven years, Dr Galea said.

About 3,000 students have applied to attend MCAST this year, he continued, scratching his head at the thought of how to ensure that nobody would be turned down.

By the end of the year, a new national team of leader educators would be in place to manage the new structures and implement measures and programmes that would improve the quality of education from childhood to the highest levels, Dr Galea said.

He laid stress on "quality education for everyone so that all our children could make it" - the motto behind the new education system, "quality" being the key word.

Even buildings and facilities were important in terms of quality, Dr Galea said. In fact, the construction of three new schools in Pembroke, Mosta and Gozo is starting this year, while the draft plan for the new schools that were required for the creation of the college system has been presented by the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools.

Pilot project childcare centres were also being opened in Luqa in October, and in Paola Lourdes and the Gharghur primary school by the end of the year, Dr Galea said, adding that kindergarten assistants would require a university degree by 2015.

A jump in quality would also be registered through the introduction in September of a new method of student assessment, whereby class work and homework would be taken into consideration, apart from mid-yearly and annual exams.

In the coming weeks, the minister was expecting a report on the exams at the end of primary school (11+), which together with the Matsec exams report, would serve to carry out the exams reform from primary school to entry into university, or MCAST.

From September, children would also be assessed from kindergarten, whereas before, records of their development were only kept from Year III.