Malta has been chosen for a pilot project on vocational education in secondary schools.
Officials from the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Cedefop, which will be collaborating with Malta in the project, would be visiting the island in the coming months to work on the introduction of vocational subjects in secondary schools, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said yesterday.
A skills analysis of the local labour market would also be carried out and the project would help improve Malta’s high early school-leaving rate, the highest in Europe, Mr Bartolo said during a press conference on the 2012 report on higher and further education.
Malta’s rate of early school leavers stood at 22 per cent when compared to the EU average of 12.8 per cent.
He expressed concern that only 44 per cent of fifth formers managed to get the required six O level passes to continue studying at post-secondary level. About 50 per cent got fewer than five subjects or did not bother sitting for the exams, he noted.
The government would be working to see how the annual reports would be widened to include retention and dropout rates.
An alternative programme for students was started this year targeting those not interested in taking their O level exams. About 200 applied but Mr Bartolo said he was not satisfied because another 150 could have applied.
The programme focuses on basic learning skills and on-the-job experience in collaboration with the private sector.
Another project in Gozo offers vocational subjects to Form III students who have already shown lack of interest in sitting for their exams.
The report was drawn up and compiled by the National Commission for Higher Education and contains information on students listed by all service providers offering further or higher education and who continue studying beyond the age of compulsory education. The report covers the academic year ended June 2012.
More than 27,780 students were studying at post-secondary level in 2012, the highest ever registered so far, Edel Cassar, the commission’s newly-appointed CEO, said. This amounted to a 70 per cent increase in the number of students in 10 years, making it “a great achievement for Malta”, she said.
Of these, 53 per cent were enrolled in higher education courses, 24 per cent focused on the academic field and 23 per cent on the vocational field.
Tertiary and higher education also peaked in 2012 with more than 14,718 students. Women still remained on top, representing 55 per cent of the total.
Social science, business and law remained the most popular field of study attracting 36 per cent of students, followed by health and welfare together with the humanities and art, each attracting 14 per cent of the students.
Ms Cassar said there were very positive results with regards to 17-year-old students as the survey revealed an 83 per cent participation rate. This meant that most of those in that age cohort continued studying, an 18 per cent rise over the past five years.
For more information visit www.ncfhe.org.mt.