Some 300 students aged 16 still “disappeared” from school and employment records last year despite numerous government initiatives to stop the phenomenon, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo told the Times of Malta.
In 2015, this newspaper had reported details of an internal government report that exposed the previously undocumented problem of youths dropping out of government records, falling into idleness or illegal work.
The vanishing fifth formers were not entering training or regular employment after finishing compulsory schooling. They did not apply for social benefits or register as unemployed, leaving an unexplained black hole in the labour market that had education authorities scratching their heads in search of the ‘missing’ youths.
Asked for an update on the situation and whether it was still a problem, Mr Bartolo confirmed the youths’ disappearing act had persisted.
“Yes, the problem is still there,” he said, adding that “at least, it has been contained”.
The minister, who is also responsible for employment, said that, although the youths continued to go missing as students and workers, the government was now trying to reach them later on in life, urging them to find a job
A spokeswoman for the Education Ministry said the introduction of initiatives, such as the alternative learning programme, had been aimed at engaging uninterested students. New vocational subjects in secondary education had also targeted those who did not fit in with the traditional school model.
While we do all we can to get them into education, employment or training, ultimately it is up to them whether to accept or not
The government’s efforts, however, had only managed to stop the number of ‘lost’ youths from increasing, meaning the numbers had remained more or less the same.
“While we do all we can to get them into education, employment or training, ultimately it is up to them whether to accept or not,” Mr Bartolo said.
He had told the Times of Malta last year he believed the teenagers were either living idle lives as dependants on their parents or were forming part of the black economy.
“It is very difficult to keep tabs on these students once they leave school and do not continue their studies. It is like they disappear. Many of them would not have even sat for their O levels,” he had said.
Asked what these were doing, Mr Bartolo had said they would either be at home “sleeping till 11 in the morning, stuck on their computers living a virtual life or working off the books somewhere”.
The internal government report on attendance and qualifications had found that about 600 students – 14 per cent of all fifth formers –did not continue with their studies at the end of their basic education. Of these, half had legally joined the work force but the rest had disappeared from the radar.
The figures tallied with an EU report published in 2014 which found that Malta had among the lowest rates of students deciding to continue their studies. Interestingly, Gozo fared better, with about 10 per cent more fifth formers furthering their studies.
Other unpublished data collected by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education showed that the problem continued after students had enrolled in post-secondary institutions.
Last year, 3,700 students aged 16 had decided to continue their studies after leaving school but, within a couple of months, 1,620 had dropped out. A third of them also disappeared from the system.
ivan.martin@timesofmalta.com