The government yesterday gave details of a consultation document that is set to pave the way for a number of changes aimed at making the transition from primary to secondary school fairer and less stressful for students.

Should the new system be approved at the end of the consultation process in mid-January, the government will remove both the streaming mechanism in state schools and the Common Entrance examination, while the Junior Lyceum network will be phased out.

The proposals that are intended to shape the new system were made public in a report presented by Grace Grima, director general of the directorate for quality and standards in education.

Dr Grima made her presentation during an event at the San Gwann primary school, attended by a number of stakeholders in the education sector, including Education Minister Dolores Cristina and the opposition’s spokesman for education, Evarist Bartolo.

The report presented by Dr Grima is an updated version of a report first commissioned by former Education Minister Louis Galea and originally presented in July 2007.

The report is essentially based on the Strategic Plan of the National Curriculum and the policy document For All Children To Succeed (FACTS), both of which highlighted the need to “eliminate the rather staccato if not abrupt manner by which students move from primary to secondary schooling in the state system” (FACTS, pp. 25-26).

The report states that the Junior Lyceum examination pass rate has reached 60 per cent. It also states that the competitive dimension of the 11+ examination began to be obvious after the Second World War, when the demand for education increased sharply.

The report says that in 1971 there was a change in government and soon after, in 1973, the 11+ examination was abolished and a comprehensive system of education was introduced.

In 1981, the government decided to reintroduce selection by setting up the Junior Lyceum network to offer high quality schooling for those who had the potential to advance academically.

The report states that the Junior Lyceum examination was highly competitive because of the government’s intention to choose “the very best”.

However, the report goes on to say that, “It appears therefore that the original motive behind the concept of the Junior Lyceums is no longer valid since Junior Lyceums are no longer catering solely for high-flyers, and also since Church schools are no longer fee-paying”.

Those who drew up the report with Dr Grima – Leonard Grech, Fr Charles Mallia, Bernie Mizzi, Peter Vassallo and Frank Ventura – made their findings by means of focused interviews, published literature, questionnaires for teachers, an analysis of Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examinations, and tracer studies on the impact of the secondary schools entrance examination.

The education experts report that the evidence from the SEC examination results shows that selection at age 11 has a negative impact on student achievement at secondary school level.

The report goes on to state that the current system of segregation at an early age goes against the country’s needs, since “currently we need to motivate our children to continue with post-compulsory education”.

Speaking during yesterday’s event, Minister Cristina said that a country’s education system should evolve according to the way society evolves. She pointed out the government’s target for 85 per cent of school-leavers to further their education by the year 2015.

Replying to a question by The Malta Independent regarding educating parents on the role of private lessons for primary school children, particularly in view of the changes that will be made over the next few years, Ms Cristina said a public campaign in this regard has been ongoing.

She said private lessons put a financial stress on families, and normally consist of large classes of students with mixed abilities, so the government will continue insisting on the need to further educate parents about the risks of private lessons.

The new system will be introduced gradually and should it be approved following the consultation process, it will be implemented for students who are currently in Year 4.

The annual assessment in Year 4 and Year 5 will consist of written examinations in English, Maltese, Mathematics, Religion and Social Studies, as well as school-based assessment in other areas of the curriculum, including oral-aural assessment in English and Maltese.

The end of primary school exam, which will be offered to all pupils in state, Church and independent schools, will consist of written examinations in English, Maltese and Mathematics, with a school-based oral-aural component in English and Maltese.

There will also be school-based assessment in religion, social studies and other areas of the curriculum.

External monitoring will also be introduced to evaluate children’s learning in the different areas of the curriculum in the upper years of primary (Years 4, 5 and 6) and the lower years of secondary education (Years 1 and 2).

Apart from the consultation document presented yesterday, two other documents, one on the acquisition of competences in primary school, and another one on school leaving certificates, will also be available for consultation in the near future.

The consultation document can be downloaded from www.education.gov.mt.

Comments, suggestions and questions can be sent by email to [email protected], or by writing to Il-Mixja mill-Primarja ghas-Sekondarja, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, Casa Leoni, 476, St Joseph High Road, Santa Venera SVR 1012.