English and Maltese proficiency tests

The University's Faculty of Education has announced it will again be holding English and Maltese proficiency tests for prospective Bachelor of Education (Hons) applicants in June and September. This is a requirement for most students wishing to be considered to join the course, which is the primary route to become a teacher.

This test was added to other entry requirements to make up for the lack of English and Maltese proficiency noted in prospective student teachers. This deficiency was found to be so profound it was impossible to correct it during the four-year undergraduate course.

Some prospective applicants are exempted from sitting for the tests if they have a Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) pass at Grade 3 or higher or an Intermediate Matriculation pass at Grade C or higher, or an Advanced Matriculation pass at Grade C or higher. This applies to both English and Maltese. In the case of English, General Certificate of Education passes at Grade B or higher are also accepted.

These are strange options indeed: How could one equate a grade at Advanced level with the same grade at Intermediate level? It may be true, unfortunately, that the difference in the standards expected between the Intermediate and the Advanced levels are not carefully delineated. But this is certainly a cacophony of requirements not benefiting a University faculty aiming to attract more students.

It also gives the 'wrong' impression that the faculty does not trust the University's Matsec board to set an examination suitable as to test English and Maltese proficiency. The faculty insists on re-testing applicants. Such re-testing is an expensive and time-consuming exercise.

Such entry requirements go against the principle of harmonisation. Entry requirements developed through such 'patching' exercises point to the need to revisit the entry requirements applied at our University. Although there is no doubting the faculty's good intentions in expecting all aspiring teachers to be proficient in English and Maltese from the very start of their University education, this may not be the correct manner of attaining the otherwise laudable intention.

Requiring additional testing for proficiency in the languages may also be a disadvantage to students specialising in the science subjects. This disadvantage could be a possible reason why so few science students opt to join the B.Ed (Hons) course at a time when the country badly needs science teachers.

Another matter for the University Senate to address urgently is the question of whether it is only the Faculty of Education that should require its students to be proficient in English and Maltese. This lack of proficiency is perhaps not unique to those students seeking to join this faculty.

It may be time to reconsider the University's entry requirements in general especially in English and Maltese. It is not acceptable that students are being admitted to any University course without being proficient in English. Yet this is precisely what the special requirement for a proficiency examination in English required to join the B.Ed (Hons) course implies.

The University Senate must seriously consider the structure of its main entry requirement - namely the Matsec examinations. Perhaps it is time to eliminate the highly controversial Matsec examinations and let the newly established colleges set their own certification for finishing secondary education.

Sixth Forms would then prepare students for reasonable proficiency examinations in different areas such as English, Maltese, General Science, Computer Science, and Systems of Knowledge, which could be established as minimum entry requirements for all tertiary education institutions. Faculties such as those of Law, Education, Medicine and Engineering would have additional special entry examinations organised by the faculties themselves in different areas.

The present Matsec entry system to tertiary education is certainly not meeting the needs of the faculties. The requirement for an additional hurdle to join the B.Ed (Hons) course points out to the tip of iceberg of problems connected to system of entry to our University. The need to urgently revise this now outdated system is now apparent.