Education and Training Monitor 2024

1. Learning for sustainability

Malta acknowledges that achieving sustainable development requires a transformation of how people think and act. The National Curriculum Framework and the Learning Outcomes Framework recognise learning for sustainability (LfS), and the newly adopted National Education Strategy for 2024-2030 also includes commitments to programmes that focus on citizenship, green skills and sustainability. Education for sustainable development is one of five cross-curricular themes throughout compulsory education (MEE, 2012) and learning outcomes related to LfS are mentioned in various subjects across the primary and secondary years. Across many primary and secondary schools, students can participate in extracurricular activities organised by environmental non-governmental organisations. The most notable ones are the EkoSkola (Eco School) programme, run by Nature Trust - FEE Malta¹ since 2002, and BirdLife Malta’s educational programme ‘Dinja Waħda’ (One Earth)², delivered since 1994. Schools embedding LfS in their curricula and introducing sustainable practices into their school communities can receive an internationally acclaimed Eco‑Schools ‘Green Flag’ eco-label.

According to the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), Maltese students’ knowledge of sustainable development is below the surveyed EU countries’ average.³ The study showed that while Maltese students are able to engage with fundamental principles and broad concepts that underpin sustainable development, they lack specific knowledge and do not demonstrate systemic understanding or a critical perspective of the area (Schulz et al., 2023). This suggests that gaps remain in students’ competencies in the areas identified by the European sustainability competence framework (GreenComp), which are: (i) embracing sustainability values and complexity; (ii) envisioning sustainable futures; and (iii) acting for sustainability (Bianchi et al., 2022).

There are an increasing number of opportunities for teachers to prepare for implementing sustainability-related topics in their teaching practice. Approximately every second teacher surveyed in the ICCS reported to have participated in training courses addressing the environment and environmental sustainability either during pre- or in-service training (or both), slightly below the participating 17 EU countries’ average (Schulz et al., 2022). Primary teachers in initial teacher education at the University of Malta (UoM) have a compulsory subject that covers LfS, titled ‘Education for Sustainable Development in the Primary Years’⁴. Also, the Institute of Education's Primary Education programme offers a compulsory module called ‘Outdoor Learning through Nature’ to future primary teachers⁵. Additionally, a Master's in Education for Sustainable Development is offered by the UoM's Centre for Environmental Education and Research⁶. Regarding continuous professional development opportunities related to LfS, short, accredited courses are offered both by the Institute of Education, the UoM, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and environmental NGOs. The compulsory training module in initial teacher training is an important measure to respond to earlier concerns about teachers’ understanding of LfS and their preparedness to implement LfS in their teaching as highlighted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and a study building on the responses of 271 Maltese primary educators in 2016 (Cordina & Mifsud, 2016; UNECE, 2016).

The National Skills Council is currently mapping training opportunities for green and digital skills to identify existing gaps in Malta’s twin transition. All courses provided by public education and training institutions are reviewed and classified according to the extent that they cover green skills and prepare for green jobs. This work is at an advanced stage, and findings are being discussed with stakeholders. To address specifically sustainable and environmental tourism, the Institute of Tourism Studies introduced a new diploma course on climate-friendly travel. Additionally, Malta’s National Strategic Action Plan for Further and Higher Education for 2022-2030 recommends that the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority sets up a dedicated working group to lead the co-design of a forward-looking approach to anticipate teaching/learning needs up to 2025. The main role of the working group is to develop high-quality and innovative professional vocational education and training provision, in particular targeting the green and digital transitions.

2. Early childhood education and care

After a decade of gradual decrease, participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) increased again in 2022. The proportion of children between the age of 3 and the starting age of compulsory primary education participating in ECEC increased marginally by 1.3 percentage points (pps) between 2021 and 2022 and stood at 87.5% in 2022, remaining below the EU average of 93.1%. Among children below the age of 3, approximately every second child participates in ECEC. The participation rate in this age group has increased by 8 pps since 2022, and with 51.1% in 2023, it is well above the EU average (37.4%) and surpasses the national Barcelona target set for 2030 (45%). Since 2022, Malta licenced 38 new childcare centres⁷.

Facilitating disadvantaged children’s access to ECEC remains a priority. The participation rate among children below the age of 3 who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) remains low at 18.4%⁸. Exposure to a high-quality and adequately stimulating early learning environment can compensate for the risks associated with growing up in disadvantaged circumstances (Shuey & Kankaraš, 2018). Therefore, Malta’s Early Leaving from Education and Training Strategy for 2023-2030 (MEYR, 2023) envisaged extending the free childcare scheme to cover children of parents who are neither in employment nor in education, a measure for which funds are yet to be made available. This has the potential to reduce the skills gap that emerges between children from different socio-economic backgrounds at an early age. Additionally, the National Education Strategy makes a commitment to: (i) improve quality in pre-compulsory settings by revising quality standards (although quality standards were already revised in 2021⁹); (ii) adopt a more robust legislative framework that ensures quality education for children below the age of 3; and (iii) create a trained workforce that participates in continuous professional development (MEYR, 2024a). These measures could address some of the quality concerns identified by the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE, 2023).

3. School education

The share of students with low levels of basic skills remains high. According to the 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), around one out of three 15-year-old students does not reach a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics (32.6%, against an EU average of 29.5%)¹⁰, reading (36.3%; EU: 26.2%)¹¹ and science (30.3%; EU: 24.2%)¹² (Figure 1). While in reading and science, the underachievement rate has remained stable since 2015¹³, it has deteriorated by 3.5 pps in mathematics (EU: 7.2 pps). Underachievement is significantly more prevalent among boys than among girls in all three fields tested, with the highest gender gap in reading (14.3 pps; EU: 8.9 pps) (OECD, 2023).

Figure 1: Underachievement rate in mathematics, reading and science, PISA 2022 (%)

Underachievement is widespread across the entire socio-economic distribution. In 2022, 47.7% of students from the bottom socio-economic quartile lacked basic skills in mathematics, 51.5% in reading and 46% in science. Since 2015, the rates have only improved in science (-3.6 pps)¹⁴. At the same time, underachievement is also high among students from the top socio-economic quartile: 17.2% of advantaged students underachieve in mathematics (EU: 10.9%), 19.9% in reading (EU: 10.6%) and 14.2% in science (EU: 8.9%). The high share of students with low levels of basic skills on both ends of the socio-economic distribution points to an overall challenge in successfully supporting students’ competence development in the areas tested by PISA.

Large achievement gaps persist among students across different school types. The share of students with low levels of basic skills in mathematics is highest in state schools (40.6%), followed by church schools (25.5%), and lowest in fee-paying independent schools (16.7%). Conversely, the top performance rate in mathematics is highest in independent schools (17.1%), while in church schools and state schools the rates are considerably lower (7.1% and 5.0%, respectively)¹⁵. These results also reflect the unequal distribution of students from disadvantaged and advantaged socio-economic backgrounds across independent, church and state schools, pointing to a stratified school system by students’ socio-economic status. An isolation index of 0.67¹⁶ of disadvantaged students from their advantaged peers indicates that students from low socio‑economic backgrounds are highly concentrated in certain schools, particularly state schools. These disparities emphasise the broader systemic challenges faced by schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged students which require targeted support to schools with greater needs. Most students go to state schools (58.9%), followed by church schools (27.4%) and independent schools (13.7%)¹⁷.

Since 2015, Malta has recorded one of the highest decreases in the share of top performers in mathematics and science in the EU. The share of top performers decreased by 4.6 pps (EU: 2.8 pps) in mathematics and by 3.1 pps in science (EU: 0.2 pps), with rates standing at 7.2% (EU: 7.9%) and 4.6% (EU: 6.9%) in 2022, respectively. During the same period, the share of top performers in reading remained unchanged (4.5%, against an EU average of 6.5% in 2022).

In Malta, socio-economic background is more relevant than migration background when it comes to student outcomes. Unlike in most EU countries, the underachievement rate is higher among native-born than among foreign-born students. In line with these results, foreign-born students are better off than their native-born peers. Underachievement in mathematics is lowest among foreign-born students (25.7%); the rate stands at 31.2% among students without a migrant background; and it is highest among native-born students with foreign-born parents (37.6%)¹⁸. These results also reflect the socio-economic composition of the three student groups. Students’ economic, social and cultural status (ESCS)¹⁹ index is highest among foreign-born students (0.16), followed by students without a migrant background (0.02), and lowest among native-born students with foreign-born parents (-0.26)²⁰.

Maltese classrooms are increasingly diverse, requiring increased support and appropriate training of educators. Since 2015, Malta has experienced an increasing diversity within its classrooms as the country has seen the largest increase in the share of foreign-born students of all EU countries (+5.4 pps)²¹. According to PISA, the share of foreign-born students stands at 8.9%, while the share of native-born students with foreign-born parents is reported to be at 3%. The socio-economic status of students with a migrant background has slightly deteriorated since 2015²², while the status of students without a migrant background has improved²³. Responding to such rapidly evolving classroom demographics, increased support and adequate training of educators is essential. The NES makes various commitments to support its educators considering a diverse set of challenges (MEYR, 2024a).

Student well-being influences performance. Around 1 out of 4 students (26.5%)²⁴ reported that they were being bullied at least a few times a month (EU: 19.3%), a harm that affects students regardless of their or their school’s socio-economic profile. Being bullied is associated with a 27-score-point decrease in mathematics performance in the PISA test²⁵, the highest associated score-point drop in the EU²⁶. The share of students who felt like they belonged at school was the second lowest in the EU (63.6%), while the mathematics performance of these students was 25 score points higher than the performance of those who felt like they did not belong at school²⁷. The Anti-Bullying Service working with a specific set of colleges in Malta aims to provide assistance to tackle bullying in schools. Although the overall truancy rate has decreased by 16 pps since the last PISA round in 2018, still a relatively large share of students reported that they had skipped at least a day of school in the 2 weeks before the 2022 PISA test both in advantaged (28.5%, against an EU average of 18.3%) and in disadvantaged (44.0%; EU: 29.0%) schools²⁸.

The new National Education Strategy adopts a person-centred approach and aims to promote the well-being of both students and educators. The strategy proposes to gradually shift away from knowledge delivery to a competence-based system and to improve equity and inclusion. Through the Family‑Community‑School Link Programme, Malta aims to implement a holistic approach to student well-being that extends beyond educational institutions and recognises that well-being influences the academic performance of children. The strategy also acknowledges the importance of giving educators stronger support through a proposed revision of programmes in initial teacher education and in continuous professional development. It also proposes to develop mechanisms to help improve educators’ job satisfaction. Furthermore, it envisages a mathematical literacy strategy and a commitment to strengthening literacy skills to narrow the learning gap in the early years. Malta also adopted a Digital Education Strategy for 2024-2030 that aims to improve students’ digital literacy and digital competencies, among other things, by introducing dedicated learning time for digital literacy in the primary school curriculum.

During the past decade, Malta has registered one of the largest drops in the share of early leavers from education and training (ELET) in the EU. Although the ELET rate (10%) is still slightly above the EU average (9.5%), the share of people aged 18-24 leaving education prematurely decreased by 7.1 pps between 2013 and 2023²⁹. A targeted ELET strategy for 2023-2030 envisages the adoption of a whole-school approach and identifies short-, medium-, and long-term measures under the pillars of prevention, intervention and compensation. Proposed prevention measures include parental engagement, allocation of funds to schools based on their social context, targeted literacy support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, expansion of the Free Childcare Scheme to cover all children, and measures to boost the aspirations of students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Malta is enhancing its ELET monitoring system with a data warehouse to identify at-risk students and by launching the Family-Community-School Link Programme it aims to foster prevention and early intervention by engaging adults in students’ lives. Having a whole-school approach and focusing on the engagement of families in children’s learning – especially at-risk families – is an important area of prevention that had little emphasis until now in Malta. The untapped potential benefits associated with this practice might manifest in improved student outcomes, well-being and behaviour (Goodall, 2017).

A new sectoral agreement for educators has been reached. The new sectoral deal, negotiated between the Maltese government and the Malta Union of Teachers, regulates working conditions and salaries for over 11 000 educators in state and independent schools. The agreement was reached after a negotiation process of 18 months, while the previous five-year agreement expired in 2022. Educators’ allowances are to be increased on a yearly basis until 2027 and their salary progression shall take fewer years, backdated from January 2023³⁰. Agreements for church schools are still to be concluded.

4. Vocational education and training

The share of students enrolled in vocational programmes is stagnant and below the EU average. In 2022, 27.8% of students at medium-level education (ISCED 3-4) were enrolled in vocational programmes, well below the EU average of 54.2%³¹. At the same time, the share of those 20-34-year-old VET graduates who were exposed to work-based learning is increasing, (55.4% vs EU: 64.5%) and getting closer to the EU-level target of 60% by 2025³². 50% of 20-34 aged graduates at MQF Level 4 from the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) graduated from an apprenticeship-based course in 2023.

Malta aims to align its educational landscape with the country’s future economic and social needs. According to Malta’s National Strategic Action Plan for Further and Higher Education for 2022-2030, there is a focus on strengthening collaboration between the education system and businesses to develop training initiatives supporting the future economy, particularly the social economy. Action has also been taken to make VET more responsive to technological advancements, with institutions such as MCAST and the Institute of Tourism Studies introducing innovative programmes and technological practices. Additionally, the re-establishment of the National Skills Council as an executive agency during the European Year of Skills, Malta’s commitment to the Osnabruck Declaration in the framework of the National Lifelong Learning Strategy for 2023-2030, and the start of the implementation of the Malta Digital Strategy for 2022-2027 are further steps in supporting skill development and fostering a resilient workforce to meet the demands of the future.

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment continues to increase. The share of people aged 25-34 with a tertiary qualification increased by 3.8 pps between 2022 and 2023. The rate stood at 46.3% in 2023, above the EU average of 43.1% and exceeding the EU-level target of 45% for 2030³⁴. While 10 years ago, around 3 out of 10 people in the respective age groups had a tertiary qualification, in 2023, the share was getting close to 5 out of 10. This trend is driven mainly by the gradual increase in the number of tertiary graduates among native-born young adults. In 2023, 47.2% of native-born people in the 25-34 age group had a tertiary qualification, up from 29% in 2013³⁵ (Figure 2). This 18.2 pps increase represents one of the largest increases among native‑born people with a tertiary qualification in the EU during the past decade (EU: 7.8 pps). The share of EU nationals of the respective age group with a tertiary qualification is even higher (49.9%), while the tertiary educational attainment rate among young adults born outside of the EU stands at 43.8%. For young adults born outside of the EU, there is a fluctuating trend, also confirmed by an increase of 7.1 pps between 2022 and 2023 after a drop of 9.3 pps between 2021 and 2022.

Figure 2: Tertiary educational attainment rate in 2013 and 2023 (%)

The share of students graduating in a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subject remains relatively low. The share of STEM graduates stood at 15.4% in 2022 (EU: 26.6%)³⁶. Only 3 out of 10 STEM graduates are female, and in 2022, only 8.1% of all female graduates graduated in a STEM subject. Of the total 5 472 graduates in 2022, 315 people (5.8%, against an EU average of 4.5%) graduated in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), leaving the supply of graduates and ICT specialists below the labour market demand (European Commission, 2024). In the last 5 years, the number of students enrolled in tertiary education has increased by 4 524, a 31.2% increase, with a total of 19 035 enrolled students in 2023³⁷. As part of the Digital Education Strategy 2024-2030, Malta recognizes the gender disparity in the field of computer science and among its long-term actions, foresees initiatives such as offering female role models and promoting industry partnerships to bridge the existing gender gap. The National Education Strategy proposes increased investments in the current scholarship scheme for students who study in STEM fields or in the area of green skills, and a stipend system to provide a financial incentive for students pursuing studies in areas with unprecedented industry demand, such as STEM and sustainability‑related fields (MEYR, 2024a). The ESF+ also supports the provision of grants and loans targeting scholarships (via financial instruments) in emerging sectors and other areas facing skills shortages. Furthermore, Malta has started to provide scholarships to master's and PhD students in innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence, under its national recovery and resilience plan (RRP).

Malta is attractive as a learning mobility destination for graduates studying abroad during their tertiary education. In 2022, Malta had one of the highest rates of inward mobile graduates with 28.6%, well above the EU average of 8.7%. Most foreign graduates originated from other EU countries (57.6%). Of the overall 1 381 inward mobile graduates, doctoral graduates made up the smallest group (81). Nevertheless, the inward degree mobility rate is highest at this level of education (ISCED 8) and is above 100% (111%), which is a rare case that implies that the number of inward mobile PhD graduates is higher that the number of PhD graduates originating in Malta³⁸.

Around 1 out of 10 Maltese tertiary graduates experienced learning mobility during their studies. Of all graduates, 10% obtained their degrees abroad, known as ‘degree mobility’, while 2.8% had a temporary learning experience abroad, known as ‘credit mobility’. Credit mobility took place almost entirely through EU programmes. In 2022, the learning mobility rate (12.8%) was above the EU average (11%)³⁹.

6. Adult learning

Despite recent positive trends, participation in adult learning, especially among people with low educational outcomes, is still a challenge. Participation of 25-64-year-old adults in education and training increased from 32.8% in 2016 to 39.9% in 2022⁴⁰. Nonetheless, participation differs greatly depending on people’s educational level, with highly educated people engaging significantly more in education and training than people with low‑level qualifications, 65.9% and 16.3%, respectively. Despite a high employment rate in Malta, horizontal and vertical skills mismatches⁴¹ are prevalent⁴², while there are also significant shortages in certain sectors, including transport, professional services and ICT, tourism, hospitality and retail, and manufacturing.

The National Education Strategy aims to promote a lifelong learning mindset and improve synergies between the education sector and industry. In addition, the National Lifelong Learning Strategy (NLLS) emphasises adult education through three key aspects: (i) increasing educational options for low-skilled and underqualified adults; (ii) expanding methods and opportunities for learning; and (iii) maintaining high quality in lifelong learning programmes.

Malta also uses EU funding to support adult education. In total, the ESF+ dedicates nearly EUR 3 million to green skills and jobs. The ESF also supported adult education at various levels, including six scholarship schemes with a total value of EUR 6.75 million. Moreover, Malta’s RRP includes skills and education-related reforms and investments amounting to EUR 27.5 million promoting, amongst others, guidance and opportunities on upskilling and reskilling for all adults, and in particular for the low-skilled. In addition, the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument helps Maltese authorities prepare a national skills strategy, while using the maritime sector as a pilot.