A revised education act, focusing on a balance between the rights and entitlements of parents and students, is set to be implemented on the 1st of October.

The act, which has been in process since 2019, has drawn upon further challenges in Malta's education system that were highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic - namely that a "one size fits all approach to an education system is no longer viable," said Dennis Zammit, Head Legal at Malta Further and Higher Education Authority.

This act, presented to the press on Tuesday by Minister of Education Justyne Caruana, will not see an amendment to the current legal age of 16 for school leavers.

This revision will see the legalisation of home schooling for "valid reasons" - such as, foreign students who move to Malta with their parents for a few months.

Parents who wish to home-school their child in Malta must go through an application process wherein they outline a detailed education program which may also be audited. The parents must also provide a programme for social and physical education besides academic.

The right to education will now extend to all residents and not just Maltese and EU citizens - thus, it will now cater for students who are third country nationals.

With a new board having been set up for education matters, parents must now oblige to policies set out by the education division and schools.

The eradication of violence at school is going to be further enforced with new policies that teachers must adhere to.

Furthermore, heftier fines and protocols have been introduced for educational crimes by parents, such as not taking their children to school - such that guilty parents who do not turn up to face their charge at the Justice Commissioner may be imprisoned.

In a bid to provide equal education that reaches every student's needs, rather than a one size fits all approach, the Minister will also now be able to develop policies and programmes to cater for certain students which may deviate from the minimum national curriculum.