Students sitting for their O and A level exams next year will have fewer topics to cover within their subjects after the exams board made a number of changes to syllabi to mitigate lost teaching time because of COVID-19. 

Schools were shut in March to control the spread of the coronavirus. Some lessons did resume online but students and teachers have acknowledged missing lesson time until things settled down. 

The MATSEC Examination Board said it was making changes to the syllabi to address the issue. 

“The changes in syllabi are to mitigate for the loss in teaching time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes may consist in reduction of content, changes in the coursework component and also in the assessment of the subject. These changes follow recommendation from panels representing school sectors and stake holders,” MATSEC said on Wednesday. 

The majority of the changes will impact the subjects’ content though in some cases, the exams will also be different. 

The changes will impact both the May and September sessions, MATSEC said. 

Reacting, the Malta Union of Teachers said the revised syllabi suggest MATSEC is “forging ahead with old syllabi without taking any considerations of the present situation”. 

“MATSEC syllabi determine what happens in secondary schools. This shall effectively mean that the mitigation measures being planned for the next scholastic year cannot be implemented effectively. 

“The MUT confirms again the general sentiment that MATSEC is out of touch with schools and is clearly in a ’bubble’ of its own.”

Schools are set to reopen their doors on September 28, with restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19.

MATSEC’s changes can be found here.