Record low early school leavers as government reaffirms child-focused approach
Prime Minister meets MUT in pre-Budget consultation
The number of early school leavers has dropped to a record low of just 9.6 per cent, the prime minister said on Friday during a pre-Budget meeting with the Malta Union of Teachers.
He said this figure represented the “lowest number of early school leavers compared to previous years”.
During the consultation meeting with MUT, Abela reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue prioritising “what is best for our children” by maintaining “strong investment” in education.
He pointed out that last year the government concluded five sectoral agreements covering state, Church, and independent schools, investing €95 million in these agreements which “directly benefitted” 7,766 educators.
The prime minister added digital education and STEM were being given “a strong boost” with more than 9.300 devices distributed to students through the One Device Per Child programme. The new “digital Education Strategy will introduce innovative, AI-based tools to further enhance learning.
“Our country must continue preparing a workforce equipped with the skills needed for the future, while remaining at the forefront of innovation, development, and progress,” Abela said.