Malta is making “extraordinary” progress towards reaching its EU 2020 education targets and should achieve them if it keeps up the present momentum.
We are sure that if this level of progress continues, the island should have no problems meeting its targets
The island has far outdone its fellow member states in working towards achieving two important benchmarks by the end of the decade, according the latest report published in Brussels.
Though Malta still has among the highest levels of early school leavers and the lowest rates of university graduates in the EU, it has registered marked progress since 2000.
It has slashed its number of early school leavers by 20.7 per cent – the fastest growth rate among the 27 member states – to 36.9 per cent in 2011 from 54.2 per cent in 2000.
A similar rate of progress was registered for education attainment levels, with the number of those aged 30 to 34 holding a degree rising to 21.1 per cent last year from only 7.4 per cent in 2000.
According to national targets set as part of the Europe 2020 agenda, by the end of the decade Malta is committed to cut the number of early school leavers to 29 per cent.
Early school leavers are defined as 18- to 24-year-olds with only lower secondary education qualifications at best and who are no longer in education or training.
The island is also obliged to increase the number of 30- to 34-year-olds with tertiary education to 33 per cent.
“Malta’s rate of progress is extraordinary and we are sure that if this level of progress continues, the island should have no problems meeting its targets,” a Commission official told The Times.
“Although the statistics still rank Malta among the overall laggards, the progress rate is the best achieved so far in the EU,”he added.
The EU is aiming to cut the number of early school leavers to just 10 per cent by 2020 and increase graduates to 40 per cent. Last year, 11 member states surpassed the 10 per cent early school leavers benchmark.
Malta (33.5 per cent), Spain (26.5 per cent) and Portugal (23.2 per cent) have the highest rates of school dropouts. Other member states that reduced early school leaving include Cyprus (11.2 per cent), Latvia (11.8 per cent) and Bulgaria (12.8 per cent).