Increasing post-secondary attendance up to 90 per cent, improved childcare centres, a university trust fund and a new assessment system are included in the government’s new strategies for education, Education Minister Louis Galea said yesterday.

Dr Galea pointed out that thanks to the new Education Act, the recently signed agreement with the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and new schools, Malta will have a new high quality educational system for everyone.

He said that the government was aiming to increase the attendance of students moving on to post-secondary education from 60 per cent to 90 per cent by 2015.

By the end of this year, three new childcare centres will be set up in Paola, Gharghur and Luqa. The centre in Luqa will act as a pilot project and open in October, said Dr Galea.

“Childcare centres and kindergarten centres will give our children the first push to develop their intelligence, creativity and personality. By 2015, all those working in a kindergarten will have to graduate from university,” he said.

As of September, new assessment methods will be introduced that will no longer rely solely on the mid-yearly or annual exams, he added.

“Each student will be assessed on the work done throughout the year – at school and at home,” he explained.

Dr Galea also said that, within the next few weeks the report on annual exams held during the last year of primary school should be ready. This report, together with the report on Matsec exams, will help implement the exam reform starting from primary school all the way up to tertiary education.

This year, he said, the construction of another three schools will start in Pembroke, Mosta and Gozo.

Furthermore, said Dr Galea, the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools recently presented a draft plan focusing on the construction of new schools that will in turn implement the new system of colleges around the island.

The minister explained that the government was working to improve the quality of inclusive education because it believed that even students with intellectual and physical abilities should be given the opportunity to succeed according to their abilities.

At present, he added, there were over 1,500 students with special needs who were learning in mainstream schools.

The minister pointed out that the government was taking various measures to improve inclusive education, such as converting the special schools to resource centres, introducing courses providing training for over 500 Learning Support Assistants, while another 100 were following a course at university.

Furthermore, said Dr Galea, there were another 350 Learning Support Assistants who already had the diploma in hand.

Students with hearing problems would also be able to make use of sign language interpreters, and training was also provided for teachers who worked with dyslexic children. A unit providing support for students who had communication difficulties was set up and, last year, 80 students made use of this service.

Dr Galea pointed out that more students with special needs wanted to take up their education to post-secondary level. As a result, he said, an educational and vocational programme would be on offer in October for students with an intellectual disability.

This year, the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) received 3,000 applications from prospective students, he said.

“Between 2002 and 2005 there was an increase of 12 per cent in the number of students aged between 20 and 24 years who continued their post-secondary studies. During the same period there was a decrease of 14 per cent in early school leavers,” he added.

Dr Galea also pointed out that the government was also focusing on strengthening the university’s autonomy and financial situation.

“In June the government approved another Lm600,000/EUR1,397,624 to be allocated for the university, apart from the approved budget estimates,” he said.

Furthermore, added the minister, the government was considering setting up a university trust fund that would encourage investment and a closer collaboration between the private and public sector and the university.

The university was also aiming to increase the number of foreign students from 1,000 to 5,000 by 2015, said Dr Galea.

“As a result, the government will soon set aside the financial resources and pinpoint a location where specialised centres in various sectors could be built,” he added.

He also said that the government would have invested Lm400,000/EUR931,748 in the last two years in scholarships for 70 Masters and Ph.D students.

Another 150 scholarships were now available under the Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme – with around Lm170,000/EUR395,993 for each academic year, he said.

“This amount is expected to increase to Lm500,000/ EUR1,164,000 by 2010 with over 600 students benefiting from the scholarships,” said Dr Galea.