Almost half the students who had no intention of sitting for secondary education certificate exams chose not to attend a specialised programme launched this year.
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo expressed his disappointment that 150 out of 353 SEC students did not wish to further their studies, which would help them acquire basic skills.
The minister revealed the figures as he announced measures to improve the overall academic performance of State schools.
Just 44.5 per cent of 16-year-olds were obtaining the required qualifications to be able to continue at post-secondary level, Mr Bartolo told a news conference at the Marija Reġina College in Blata l-Bajda.
Malta has the highest rate of early school leavers in the EU and this is a major concern, he said. The biggest challenge is the implementation of mixed-ability teaching.
Mr Bartolo said that evidence suggests that the current system does not cater for students who learn more effectively through a hands-on approach. As a result, they think formal education is irrelevant and this manifests itself in behavioural problems.
Those who do not attend religion classes will be obliged to attend lessons in universal ethics
Primary schools facing major problems with illiteracy will have to develop action plans, he said.
The minister also announced that from October around 1,400 students who presently do not attend religion classes will be obliged to attend lessons in universal ethics, which will cover subjects such as tolerance, democracy and diversity.
From the next scholastic year, all secondary schools will be reorganised into a middle and senior school.
The aim is to have Forms 1 and 2 separated from older students, to make the school more manageable and supervision less daunting.
Mr Bartolo said that, in some cases, this will warrant structural works in school buildings, such as the case of Rabat secondary school.
Middle schools may also be housed in a separate building.
Introducing national co-education will enhance overall academic performance, Mr Bartolo claimed, saying that girls perform significantly better than boys and will contribute to raising standards of male students.
For the long term, the Education Division also intends to beef up the BTech vocational subjects to open opportunities for students who are struggling with the traditional, academic-oriented pedagogical approach.