In March 2004, Education, Youth and Employment Minister Louis Galea commissioned a Matsec Review Committee to compile a report about the current national examinations setup. After extensive research and several meetings conducted with parents, teachers and examiners, the Review Committee presented its report in October 2005. Its conclusions, in the form of a 104-page report, were received with mixed reactions from the stakeholders. Following are the committee’s main suggestions, for which the ministry is still receiving comments, suggestions and recommendations from the general public.
Exams timeline
The Review Committee is proposing that the April-June examination session be moved to June-July. Such a move would provide for a longer academic year for teachers and students, enabling better coverage of the syllabi. Better preparation will hopefully increase the number of passes at the June session. The current September supplementary session would then be moved to November-December, allowing Matsec to offer a full examination session to its stakeholders. Such a measure would do away with current constraints of offering only a limited number of subjects to Matriculation Certificate candidates. It would possibly also make it more likely for mature students sitting for single subjects to return to formal certification in a graduated manner.
Annual external audits
Matsec should further improve the current examinations system by including periodic critical self-examination. Annual external audits of the system by foreign professionals would provide an internal formative evaluation system to decision-makers within Matsec and add credibility to the service being provided to education, business and industry.
Operations research for quality assurance
People with expertise in assessment, measurement and statistical analyses are urgently required if the system is to develop any further. Operations research must be taken seriously and urgently to enhance quality assurance. The current situation is untenable. In-house statistical expertise should enable Matsec to use robust techniques to upgrade quality assurance procedures.
Administrative and
marking database
The creation of both an administrative and a marking database that integrate all the disparate information of the Matsec operation should be undertaken immediately with the necessary proviso for security and confidentiality. One cannot operate Matsec using multiple databases with unfriendly software, lacking interconnectivity, and expect to have immediate results to queries generated by operational and decision-making requirements.
Assessment of levels
of competence
It is imperative that the Matsec Board focuses more on the assessment of levels of competence rather than qualify students for entry to the University of Malta. The current arrangement gives rise to a number of constraining factors that are deleterious to the examination process.
Involvement of teachers
In principle, the review Committee is also recommending more involvement of teachers in the Matsec processes. Teachers should be involved in the syllabus production, item banking and assessment processes. The Zarb Adami report (1999) had recommended the possibility of secondment of teachers to the Matsec unit. However, the Review Committee also heard of practical difficulties experienced implementing this objective. Understanding the issues involved, the Review Committee would still reiterate its recommendation to the Matsec Unit, safeguarding the management and decision-making requirements of Matsec.
Continued professional development of academic and administrative
personnel
Matsec must establish a plan for the continuing professional development of academic and administrative personnel to counteract the insularity of the system. The plan is to include stronger links and possibly attachments with foreign examination boards, membership of international assessment bodies, seminars and workshops with the participation of local and foreign consultants.
Graduate Assistantship Scheme
Matsec should consider the implementation of a graduate assistantship scheme that would offer part-time employment to people currently undergoing post-graduate studies. These people would assist with the operational research required by Matsec. Some of the better candidates could be encouraged to stay with Matsec after they finish their studies.
Vocational subjects
As a national examination system, Matsec should aim to offer a number of vocational subjects for certification in the near future. These examinations, based on a balanced mixture of good theory and practical performance, would require the same rigorous preparation required for traditional subjects. Vocational subjects would necessitate the development of facilities that would make it possible for students to demonstrate performance within these areas.
Computerised examination system for basic functional competencies
The Review Committee is also proposing the introduction of a computerised examination system that would certify functional competencies in five subject areas, namely Maltese, English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology. The committee considers these to be basic functional competencies required in today’s society. Each subject would have three consecutive levels of competencies (for better discrimination of competencies) and the student would be given a certificate after the completion of each level.
Intermediate level
examinations as single
subjects
The Review Committee is recommending that Intermediate Level examinations be offered as single subjects to all students. This ought to encourage students who want to enrich their studies with a broader level than the Secondary Education Certificate (SEC).
Systems of Knowledge
The Systems of Knowledge examination has created a number of controversies. The Review Committee heard conflicting and disparate opinions about the examination from students, parents, teachers and the Matsec Board itself. Certain stakeholders consider the technology project of no, or little value. The Committee does not share this viewpoint. On the contrary, a hands-on project helps students improve their cognitive and practical problem-solving abilities, and is in line with current educational trends, emphasising pragmatic problem-solving approaches. However, the Review Committee also noted the existing discrepancy about students’ expected outcomes. There is no clear agreement among those responsible as regards what constitutes an acceptable project, the intended learning process and outcomes. This situation needs to be remedied at once. The Matsec Board must issue better guidelines to all the stakeholders, as regards what is expected and how the project will be graded. Unfortunately, the schooling system does not currently facilitate such development. There is very little preparation for this type of knowledge acquisition. One hopes that the introduction of Design and Technology at SEC level, will greatly improve this situation. In the meantime, Matsec’s focused guidelines on the implementation of the project should also serve as an indication of the type of recruitment required by schools that prepare students in Systems of Knowledge. Students could be allowed to focus on one technology project assessed by means of a 15-minute oral examination conducted by at least three people, including the supervisor. A 3,000-word written report would reflect on and evaluate the process and outcome of the production of the project. The Review Committee believes that such an exercise would help students discuss issues about their work during the oral examination.
Standardisation of oral
language examinations
The Review Committee is further recommending that a standardisation process with regard to the oral examinations of different languages. Benchmarks and exemplars need to be established in the context of training for examiners. Matsec would do well to introduce contemporary technology for better assessment of listening comprehension.
Coursework and
school-based assessment
Matsec should streamline the requirements of coursework and school-based assessment and establish and disseminate clear criteria for assessment, provide instances of good practice and, in collaboration with the appropriate authorities, train teachers and seek ways of monitoring and improving the moderation of coursework.
English language proficiency
The Review Committee heard various discussions about certification of competencies in the English language. There is currently a vociferous discussion as to what constitutes proficiency in English. The currency system is untenable. The Matsec Board, with the support of the University Senate, needs to create a mechanism that would bring all interested parties to some consensus as regards what constitutes English proficiency competency at SEC, Intermediate and Advanced levels. In the case of English language, one needs to keep in mind that the subject can be an area of specialisation for some and a functional subject for communication and self-expression for others. Modification of the syllabi ought to reflect such changes.
Revision of papers
The Review Committee is suggesting that the “revision of papers” service be improved to reflect more transparency. If the timelines of the main session and the supplementary session are moved, then it would make it possible for students to have better access to feedback about their performance.
Financial operation
of the Matsec setup
The financial operation of the Matsec setup works on a break-even basis if one does not account the full support in kind, granted by both the University of Malta and the Examinations Department. According to the Review Committee, however, the Matsec unit is fundamentally understaffed. Professional staff currently hold dual posts in order to qualify for the Academic Work Resources granted to university employees with teaching duties. Furthermore, this dual appointment is required for fear that Matsec personnel be locked into a dead-end career path. The Review Committee is suggesting that while contact with university departments ought to be maintained at a lower commitment level, the Matsec Unit also ought to have an internal budget for the training requirements of its professional members, together with an internal scale of promotion potentials.
Examiners’ remuneration
The Review Committee has welcomed the remuneration adjustments over the recent years, which reflect a more just distribution of payments to the paper setters and markers of the examinations. However, under current circumstances, examiners feel that they are not being paid enough for their work. The committee is suggesting a slight increase in the compensation offered, especially given the conditions and constraints under which markers have to operate. It is already problematic recruiting enough markers in certain subject areas and if the problem is accentuated, then the educational system risks losing all that has been acquired over the years.
One possible alternative, according to the Matsec review, would be for the government to tax this remuneration at 15 per cent, rather that 35 per cent that markers currently pay. This would create an incentive without increasing the cost.
Operational research for the improvement of the Matsec system
Additional academic and clerical staff must be recruited to allow the current staff more time for monitoring, reflection, development and training.
Examination fees
The Review Committee is suggesting that fees for examinations be increased by Lm2.00 for each subject entry, to make up for the current shortfall and the structural changes required in the Matsec setup.
The fee for the revision of papers should be structured as follows: clerical check – Lm10.00; summary revision – Lm25.00; full revision – Lm50.00.
In each of the above the full fee will be refunded should the revision award an upgrade to the candidate. Under current conditions many are opting to ask for a revision of paper, not because they feel that the score obtained does not reflect their performance, but because “there is nothing to lose”. This is creating an untenable situation since it does not allow those who genuinely require such a service to get the full attention they deserve.
The Matsec Review Committee was made up of chairperson Dr Grace Grima, Mr Raymond Camilleri, Rev. Prof. Saviour Chircop and Prof. Frank Ventura. The full report may be viewed at http://www.education.gov.mt/matsec.htm. Any suggestions, comments or recommendations may be sent to Matsec Review, Policy Unit, Education, Youth and Employment Ministry, Great Siege Road, Floriana VLT 2000.