Labour spokesman urges wider look at primary education system

Evarist Bartolo, Labour spokesman for education, said the government was making a big mistake in addressing just junior lyceum streaming and examinations when discussing the improvement of primary education.

Of the 752 classes in Maltese and Gozitan primary schools, 67 per cent, or 505 classes, are not streamed - just 33 per cent or 247 classes are, he said.

Cabinet on Tuesday approved a report outlining long-awaited alternatives to the junior lyceum entrance examination system and a public consultation process should start in the coming weeks.

The document recommended the phasing out of the streaming system and explored a method of transition from primary to secondary school, to replace the present system of common entrance and junior lyceum entry exams.

Streaming, whereby students are allocated to state junior lyceums or area secondary schools after passing an entrance exam, has long been criticised, primarily because it was thought it raised the stress levels of the 11-year-olds who sat for the exams.

Mr Bartolo argued that a lot had to be done at kindergarten and primary school level to enable more students to succeed in their exams.

Although 3,029 students sat for the last junior lyceum exams in Malta, only 50.5 per cent, or 1,531 students passed. In Gozo, 265 students sat for the same exams and 58 per cent, or 154, students passed.

The urgency of overhauling the education system was raised last month during a business breakfast on education organised by the Nationalist Party when the Prime Minister acknowledged the need for an in-depth look at streaming.