The document summarizes key aspects of the education system in Malta and Gozo. There are state and church primary and secondary schools. Support is provided through peripatetic teachers in literacy, ICT, science, art and other subjects. Students have exams starting in year 4, and the 11+ exam determines secondary school placement. Streaming exists in later primary and secondary years. Adult education and family literacy programs are also offered.

1. Highlights of Education system in Malta Gozo College ‘ Working, Achieving and Succeeding together’ Ms. Irene S Vella Literacy Support Teacher

2. Gozo College Mission Statement The Gozo College, firmly believes that every child matters; every child can be a powerful learner; every child can be intelligent if taught effectively; by working together we can work smarter, is promising to provide a holistic education of the highest quality to each and every learner entrusted in its care and to the whole Gozitan community that it serves, the aims being to enhance pupil learning with a clear pedagogical focus to embrace all learners and teachers; adult learning where teachers learn alongside their learners through collaborative approaches and, where, in a perspective of life-long learning, parents and the whole community are included; leadership for learning and leadership development focusing on the training and the professional development of the Senior Management Teams; school-wide learning, the idea being to transform schools into learning organizations and learning communities; school to school learning where professionals can work together sharing knowledge and good practice in a process of co-construction with others outside school; network to network learning where transfer of knowledge from network to network is encouraged; action research in a continuous process of reflection and self-evaluation.

3. Different Schools in the Gozo College State schools (11 kinder & primary schools (from ages 3-11) + (2 secondary schools – one for the boys and one for the girls (ages 11-16) Church schools (4 kinder & primary schools (from ages 3 -11) + (2 secondary schools – one for the boys and one for the girls ages 11-16) In Gozo we have no Private entity schools. In Malta there are at primary and secondary level. At 16+ level in Gozo we have 6 th Form (this is for 2 years and you get a certificate to go to University) Another option at 16+ is MCAST (it is a vocational / techinical college which includes also foundation courses) In Gozo we also have one special school which is a part of a ‘mainstream’ primary school. We have a School of Music, School of Drama, School of Crafts, School of Arts We also have a Gozo University branch where part time degrees are held.

4. Teachers are chosen by a board of the Education Department. (by interview) The heads of school have no control over the teachers sent to teach in her/his school. We have formal exams starting from year 4 (8-9 years old), then in year 5 and then at year 6 we have the 11+ exam which is very important. There is the half yearly exam which is prepared by teachers themselves and then there is the Annual exam which is standardised and is prepared by the Education Department. At secondary level they also have half yearly exams and Annual exams Then at the last year of secondary school (form 5) they have to do their O levels or GCSE. They need a minimum of 6 to apply for 6 th Form. Then after 2 years at 6 th Form they have to do an exam which is called the Matriculation Certificate which includes 2 A level and 4 intermediate exams. Once a student obtains this certificate he/she can apply for university,

5. Support Teachers at the Gozo College We have a very good system of peripatetic teachers in the primary schools Literacy Support Teacher (1) ME Drama Teachers (2) ICT Teachers (2) Health & Safety Teachers (3) P.S.D. Teachers (5) Science Teachers (3) Eco school Teacher (1) Early Intervention Teacher (1) P.E. Teachers (5) Music Teachers (3) Complementary Teaches (9) Art Teachers (2) Home Tuition Teacher (1)

6. School Time School starts at 8.30 and finishes at 2.30 for primary schools and secondary schools. In primary they have a first break from 10.10 till 10.30 and another one from 12.30 till 1.00. In secondary break varies depending on time table of school.

7. Streaming We have streaming in primary schools year 5 and year 6. However in most schools there is only one class per year so we have no streaming there. (Gozo college co-ordinator wants to change this) In secondary schools there is streaming but the classes are not named A, B, C but at the boys’ they are named with colours while at the girls’ these have the names of flowers.

8. Learning Support Assistants We have a system of facilitators / learning support assistants in primary and secondary schools. Students need to be statemented with a report and then they can be assigned a facilitator to help them. There is a huge waiting list.

9. Training Every year every teacher has to do a 3 day in service training course at the end of the school year in July Also we need to attend three two hour sessions per scholastic year. Also, each school has to do a School Development Plan. They use a whole day to do this plan. Other staff meeting are done throughout the year (one per term) and during these times, students leave school at 12.00.

10. Adult Education We have a system of Evening classes offering courses in English, Maltese, Numeracy, ICT, other languages, Crafts etc. . . . At MCAST a foundation course is offered in Basic Skills Also at Local Council sites courses in ICT are being offered. Other courses of Basic Skills have been offered at the Gozo university branch with funds of EU. ETC (Employment Training Centre) also offers courses Internet can be accessed by everyone at the local councils Also internet connections were subsidised by the government – there were special offers.

11. Family Literacy We have a foundation (FES) which has been working a lot on this issue Different programmes: NWAR & HILTI NWAR: 1 hour session twice a week. A tutor with one or 2 students plus a parent/relative of the student/s (age group 8-16) HILTI : after school programme two hours twice a week – family literacy programme (school decides which age group) (I was a HILTI site co-ordinator for 4 years)

12. Support Groups At the Gozo college we have the support group of ADHD and the support groups of Dyslexia

13. ICT in schools Every primary class has 4 computers in class plus a monitor and a dvd and each primary school teacher has a laptop. From last week every secondary teacher has a laptop and also every peripatetic teacher has one too. Also each person working with the government has an e mail address of the government system. Training was given and is still being given by ICT experts working within the Government system.

14. Literacy Literacy Centre – One illiterate child is one child too many. Book Flood Different other projects every year in different schools – [email_address] Stories from different cultures Stories at home for kinder students Literacy through drama

15. Dissemination of Good practices Best Language practice award Sharing practices at the College of Heads meetings Peripatetic teachers disseminate practices being done in different schools Internet School magazines Other publications of the Ministry of Education Radio Programmes Education 22 (Tv station) Newspaper Articles

16. Training Training I have organised during this scholastic year Training for parents in the Dyslexia Support Group (one seminar by a psychologist, 2 sessions about Dyslexia and Maths, one session by SPLD director, and meetings during Dyslexia Awareness Day. Training for Teachers: One seminar by a Special Need Expert, 2 whole day course about a Multisensory approach to teaching Maltese