Maltese Educational System

The educational system in Malta is divided into three core branches which are primary education, which includes ages five to eleven, secondary education which includes students aged from eleven to sixteen and Tertiary Education for students that have passed the first two primary stages. Malta has one University which is recognized by major foreign Universities worldwide. Education in Malta is compulsory for students aged from five to sixteen years old.

Maltese parents can send their children to State, Church or Private Schools under the current system. The Maltese Educational System is essentially based on the British education model.

Major changes are currently happening in the Maltese Educational System. In the mid nineties computers were installed in the Primary School classrooms and a new National Maltese Education System Curriculum was drawn and implemented between 2000 and 2002.

With its colonial past Malta's education sector draws its main guidance from the British educational system and after three years of secondary schooling, students can the opt to transfer into trade school which is a system which leads to employment or to further technical education and training through various apprenticeship schemes. Secondary school students can choose to proceed through sixth form to university, or to one of the several specialized vocational schools located on the island.

There are many schools which belong to the Catholic Church teaching primary and secondary college in Malta. However in the early nineties there was a surge in the growth of independent schools.

The Maltese educational institutions including the state, private, and religious sectors provide an extensive education system which caters for all the island nations schooling requirements.

The State primary school system is localized in every Maltese village and the State secondary school system is streamlined into the secondary school system.

Studying in Malta offers a wide range of choices whether you are considering a language course, or higher education. Courses are fairly inexpensive compared with the rest of the EU and the standards are very high in particular at the University of Malta which is one of the oldest educational establishments in the world.

There are over 50 language schools located on the island in all the popular towns. Especially so in St. Julian’s which is the nightlife hub and Valetta which is the UNESCO protected capital city of Malta. There are many language schools located on the smaller island of Gozo which offers more of a slower lifestyle in contrast to the Malta mainland. Ferries connect the two islands daily.

English is spoken by the Maltese tutors with an unusual accent which is based on old fashioned, BBC style English so the style of English language lessons is somewhat different in terms of style and pronunciation. If you are from a Commonwealth country, the EEC, the U.S. or Japan visas are not usually required.

Due to the island’s size finding a job whilst you study is not always an easy task. However since Malta joined the European Union it is now possible for European citizen to live and work on the island.

Australians under 30 can also work on Malta for a year as part of the Working Holiday Visa program but for those from many other countries it is very hard to find the permits as the government is in tight control of the labor market.

Despite some of these challenges spending time studying and working in Malta is a very rewarding experience where you can learn about the history of the Moors, the Knights of St. John, all about the British Empire and Malta’s role in WW2.