Malta’s education system has long been under the lens with several shortcomings being discussed on a regular basis. One of the key indicators which signals the success or otherwise of secondary school is the performance of students in their O level exams. Many students perform below certain standards and lose opportunities to advance academically, thus impacting their future careers.
Being a fast-growing economy, Malta needs all the talented individuals it can get. The country already faces a problem when it comes to skilled resources, having to seek foreigners to keep up with the demand. With that said, it does not seem that the situation with academic education will be changing anytime soon.
A few days ago, students who sat for O levels received their results. Twenty percent of those who sat for their maths O level failed. Similar figures were registered for those who took the Maltese exam. The issue lies in the fact that both maths and Maltese are classified as mandatory subjects which are compulsory throughout secondary school years. Together as a mandatory subject, is English. Hundreds of students failed their core subjects. Out of these three core subjects, students performed the worst in maths, with many obtaining a ‘U’ which refers to the unclassified grade.
Over four thousand students applied for the maths exam, with less than three hundred getting the highest grade. Around four hundred students were absent. The situation seems to have taken a turn for the worst as last year, a lower percentage of failure in maths was registered.
A significant number also had trouble with their Maltese exam, as seventeen percent got an unclassified grade. This figure compares better to previous years. With respect to English, eleven percent of students failed the subject, a slight improvement over 2021, where twelve percent was registered.
Over the past months, Malta’s education standards hit the headlines. The reason for this is because it was announced that one pass mark in the core subjects will be enough for entry to the Junior College. In the past, students were expected to get a pass grade in the three core subjects if they were to be admitted to the Junior College. Although students can enrol at the Junior College with success in just one mandatory subject, O level passes in the core ones are still required if they wish to be eligible to study at the University of Malta.
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