The new scholastic year opened today with 59,221 students attending schools in Malta and Gozo.

There are 8,731 students in kindergarten, 25,860 in primary schools, 20,939 and middle and secondary schools and 3,691 in post-secondary schools.

The number of educators total 10,366, of whom 5,574 are teachers, 3,528 learning support assistants and 709 kindergarten assistants.

After a new collective agreement came into force on 1 January, new syllabi and learning programmes will be implemented in Kindergarten 1, Year 3 and Year 7. A four-year programme will be introduced gradually.

Students’ assessments will be strengthened while mid-year exams for students between Year 4 and Year 8 will be eliminated. These exams for Years 9 and 11 will be eliminated gradually.

MATSEC exams will be free of charge as from this year, while school transport will also be free of charge.