A Maltese language spell checker which could spell the end of poorly-written Maltese online will be developed with government funding, the Finance Minister revealed during his Budget 2020 speech.

The spell checker could end up costing as much as €8 million but would help preserve and encourage the use of the Maltese language online.

A Maltese language spell checker is currently unavailable, even though Maltese is an official language of the European Union.

While spell checkers for more commonly-used languages are generally developed by software giants, more niche ones such as Maltese are not.

That means the responsibility for creating such a tool falls on the state.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna also announced in the Budget speech that VAT on educational and vocational training, including distance learning, will be removed as of next year.

The minister announced a grant of €850 for Maltese students who opted to study a foreign language abroad. This, he said, would encourage young people to expand their horizons and experience different cultures.

With the rollout of free tablets for schoolchildren in many primary school classes completed, a pilot project will be launched for a similar roll-out in middle schools.  

Drinking water fountains will be introduced in schools, removing the need for pupils to carry heavy water bottles.