Malta registers largest drop in rate of early school leavers

Malta registered the largest drop in its rate of early school leavers between 2000 and 2010, according to a draft report.

The Draft 2012 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020) - 'Education and Training in a smart, sustainable and inclusive Europe', was adopted today by the Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Council of Ministers. Malta was represented by Justice Minister Chris Said.

While the rate of early school leavers in Malta stood at 54.2 per cent in 2000, this dropped to 36.9 per cent in 2010, a decrease of 17.3 percentage points over 11 years.

Addressing the Council, Dr Said voiced Malta's agreement with the Danish Presidency's position that education and training systems should serve to provide youths with the appropriate skills and competences to enable them to successfully enter the labour market.

He said that even though the level of youth unemployment in Malta was, at 12.3%, one of the lowest among EU member states, the country still considered work in this area as one of utmost priority.

"The main policy initiative to be taken in the immediate future, which will tackle youth unemployment and will minimise the social consequences of the crisis for young people, is the validation of informal and non-formal learning. Malta is in the process of introducing legislation in this regard which shall centre around the setting up of sector skills units led by employers and other social partners," he said.

The joint report adopted today indicates that while other member states have experienced budget cuts in education, Malta has consistently increased its education budget, even in the throes of the global economic crises.

Regarding Malta's early school leavers' rate, the Commission Staff Working Document states that Malta has addressed the matter through a number of measures.

On Malta's level of tertiary education attainment, the European Commission remarks that Malta is the EU country with the highest growth rate since 2000, the rate almost tripling by 2010.

Malta also saw strong growth in the number of maths, science and technology graduates (70 per cent over eight years), compared to the EU average (33 per cent over the same period) with a slight improvement of the gender balance'. The percentage of tertiary education attainment is of 21.5 per cent for 2010, an increase from 7.2 per cent in 2000.