Classes in state schools do not exceed 25, the education authorities said in reaction to a call by the Malta Union of Teachers for smaller classrooms.

There were 791 classes (Years 1 to 6) this year in state primary schools on the two islands and nearly all of them had fewer than 25 pupils. “About half the classes in our primary schools have between 16 and 20 students and only one in four classes have between 21 and 25 students,” the education authorities said. Nearly a quarter were made up of 15 pupils or fewer.

The most common class size in this scholastic year is 20, according to the education directorates.

They said they were addressing the different aspects of the teaching and learning processes in schools in their endeavour to provide quality education for all learners in differentiated classes.

This included a national consultation process on the updated curriculum framework which is planned to take place in the current scholastic year and the ensuing revision of the syllabi which would naturally follow once the national framework was adopted at national level.

The union had argued that smaller classes and a review of syllabi were required in the face of new challenges brought about by reform in the transition from primary to secondary school.