About 280 of the fifth formers returning to government schools today have already made up their minds not to sit for the Sec examinations in May.

They will instead be taking part in the Alternative Learning Programme at the Paola Boys’ Secondary School, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said yesterday.

The programme combines academic and vocational subjects, targetting those who are not being reached through the standard syllabus.

Another innovation this year will be the roll-out of an approach to language learning that lays the stress on using language in everyday life rather than “the age-old method of just following text books”, Mr Bartolo said.

The intention is to encourage more students to study languages other than Maltese and English.

Half of the fifth formers who complete secondary school are leaving without having acquired knowledge of a third language, Mr Bartolo added.

Teachers at all levels will gradually be given training in how to implement the new approach.

Earlier this year, the Education Ministry signed a two-year agreement with Cambridge English, a branch of Cambridge University, with the aim of also improving English proficiency after this was reported to be lacking in many students.

On the intake of students by government schools, Mr Bartolo said the government this year had planned ahead in an attempt to avoid a repetition of last year’s problems of space. In some primary schools, the classes available were not enough to house all students.

We want to help those who show some motivation to learn

“As far as I know, at the moment space is not an issue, however the problem usually arises at a later time during the year with the arrival of new students.”

The primary schools in St Paul’s Bay and Mellieħa, areas which are popular with foreigners who move to Malta, last year recorded an increase in the number of students and not enough classroom space was available.

“This year we have planned ahead and in the past months we went round the areas and asked organisations to help by offering up any available space so that if the need arises, these could be used as classrooms.”

In another attempt to cut down on the number of students dropping out of school, Mr Bartolo said those who achieved only one pass in the Sec examinations could apply for a specialised programme, the GEM16+, and work on getting more passes.

“Those who only managed to get one pass would usually be left with few options. They could not even apply for Sec courses at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary because they would need at least three passes.”

These students faced a significant risk of giving up on their education and the government was trying to instil in them the motivation to learn.

Some 240 students could benefit from this programme. They would be interviewed to ensure that those who applied had the right intentions.

“We don’t want to encourage those who just turn up to get their stipends but we want to help those who show some motivation to learn,” Mr Bartolo said.

This year, six new schools are opening their doors for the first time. These include the new sports school in Pembroke, middle schools in Naxxar, Rabat, Cospicua and Victoria, and the first-ever kindergarten building specifically designed to cater for kindergarten pupils, in San Ġwann.

Tombs part of school

Rabat school

The newly-built middle school in Rabat will have a special feature not likely to be found in many schools. During the excavation period, builders came across important archeological finds and the school was designed around them.

“When we came across the tombs, instead of complaining about the extra costs and complex design that would have to be developed, we decided this would be a great opportunity to not only preserve the tombs but to have it incorporated into the school’s design,” Mr Bartolo said.

In Kirkop, where another school is being built, the same situation occurred and the tombs there would also be incorporated into the design of the school.