When the Ministry of Education and Employment announced the first intake of boys at St Clare Girls Secondary in Pembroke there was also a reference to the introduction of middle schools. Although in the past years there were secondary schools that operated as middle schools due to space limitations and other factors, the Malta Union of Teachers has been urging educational authorities to reduce the size of secondary schools which were becoming too large and impersonal to students. The introduction of middle schools could be one of the solutions to reduce the school population in secondary schools and to provide personalised education which caters for the needs of all students. This article aims to explore the concept of middle schools and contribute to a national debate about this proposal.

A definition

Compulsory education in Malta and in a number of other countries consists of a two-tier system: locally six primary years and five secondary years. These are equivalent to years 1 to 11 in a number of European countries and will eventually also be re-defined in this way locally, as outlined in the National Curriculum Framework launched earlier this year. Middle schools cater for the middle years (mostly years 6 to 7, years 6 to 8 or years 7 to 8). They follow the first five or six years of primary schooling and prepare students for the remaining two or three years of secondary schooling. Usually students remain in middle schools for two years but some countries have also a third and even a fourth year. Most countries consider middle school as part of secondary education but there are others who consider it as part of primary education. Some countries do not define it in terms of the primary or secondary tier but consider it as a combination of both or simply as the second of a three-tiered education.

The term middle school was used for decades in UK but curricular changes resulted in the re-adoption of a two tier system where the notion of middle schools has been re-defined as ‘middle-deemed primary’ or ‘middle-deemed secondary’, depending on the curriculum followed. Different countries adopt different notions to refer to middle schools. The term ‘gymnasium’ is used in a number of countries including Bulgaria and Romania. Italy used the term ‘Scuola Media’ for years until it was renamed to ‘Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado’ few years ago. Both terms ‘middle school’ and ‘junior high school’ are used in the US and Canada whereas France uses the term ‘collège’ to refer to its middle years of schooling. Although different countries adopt different models to run middle schools, the majority are housed in the same buildings of secondary or primary schools. Various measures such as separate break times are used to minimise interaction with older students which may lead to bullying. Supervised interaction with older or younger students is however deemed essential to reduce isolation and to minimise the gap between middle and secondary school.

Middle schools to address students’ developments

The timing of middle school coincides with the start of an important transition of human development: adolescence. It is however not a coincidence as adolescence or the bridge between puberty and adulthood, is characterised by changes which affect not only the physical aspect but also the emotional, social and intellectual development. Hence the creation of a middle school concept designed around the unique developmental needs of early adolescents. A customized educational programme for middle schools is necessary as the needs of young adolescents are different from either primary or secondary school students. In this way, the middle school as a bridge between primary and secondary serves also as a bridge between puberty and adolescence.  Middle schools require educational support services which are tailor made for the particular age group and the developments in early adolescence.

Middle schools to bridge transition

The changes in educational provisions between primary and secondary schools must not be overlooked. Primary schools are often smaller than secondary schools and by the end of the sixth year, the majority of students would have been playing, learning, and familiarising together for years. Locally, primary school children may live in the same localities with ample possibility to know each other beyond the school premises.  Their parents may also be acquaintances and this helps to establish a wider local school community. The primary class teacher is a fixed point of reference for the entire scholastic year although s/he may not be constantly delivering all teaching due to visiting subject teachers. 

The situation in secondary is different. Secondary schools are larger with many unfamiliar faces. Students come from different localities and some friendship groups are already well established due to previous years of schooling. The system may look too complicated and chaotic to an 11 or 12-year old with rigid timetables, students walking in corridors, individual teachers for distinct subjects and the initial perception of a missing reference person in the form of class teacher. These and other consequences of the transition from primary to secondary can be addressed through middle schools which reproduce some of the familiar elements of primary schooling like a smaller school population and  a fixed reference person. At the same time, middle schools pave the way for the upper years of secondary with complex timetables and subject teaching.  In this way, a middle school is neither an exaggerated primary school nor a miniature secondary school, but a blend of the two and helps in bridging the transition from primary to secondary schooling.

Middle schools to re-define early secondary

The great majority of Maltese schools are already adopting various measures to cater for students in the first two years of secondary schooling. Classrooms are often situated in dedicated sections of the school which are closely monitored, with designated educators who serve as reference persons and separate breaks. However these measures alone are only provisions that cater for particular year groups and do not constitute a middle school concept. To use the term middle schools for services that are already being provided would only lead to a re-definition of the first years of secondary schooling.

Middle schools require well defined structures that cater for the administrative, pastoral and educational needs of students. The head of middle school is a middle post in some countries with the head of secondary responsible for the school. Other countries have a distinct head of middle school. Some countries have teachers with special responsibilities of transition co-ordinators. They provide the link between primary and secondary and help reduce the gap between the two schools. A pastoral work team in middle school assists students in their daily emotional, social and intellectual needs and is often distinct from the secondary pastoral work team in view of the different developmental needs. Most countries have an assessment intervention team that caters for the initial fall in marks experienced by some students following the transition to secondary. Similarly, guidance teams or career specialists assist students in their subject choices throughout middle school.

This is certainly not a comprehensive account of all the variations and special educational provisions in place in middle schools. However it serves to highlight that the introduction of middle schools requires dedicated services. Otherwise, the introduction of middle schools will only be a cosmetic change or a re-definition of early secondary. It is hoped that effective practices in early years of secondary schools are retained in the new middle school concept, new provisions which are established and tested in other countries are introduced to enhance the educational services in middle schools and  there is full consultation with educators who will ultimately determine the success or otherwise of any educational reform.

Marco Bonnici – MUT Senior Vice President