Parents of State school children have called for a “thorough analysis” of the long-term impact of the removal of the end-of-primary benchmark exam.

The Maltese Association of Parents of State School Students (MAPSSS) wants the authorities to study how the change will impact the children’s post-secondary trajectories and other high-stake exams such as SEC.

The removal of the benchmark exam has been described as part of a “greater reform” by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.

His ministry announced on Thursday that the exam would be replaced by “informal national exams”, shifting the focus solely to ongoing assessment methods.

A total of 25 recommendations were put forward by the government’s Benchmark Review Board, such greater use of digital technologies and pitching the informal exams at two levels of ability. The body also outlined time frames when the different changes should be rolled out, with the phasing out of the system currently in place to be finalised by 2021.

Mr Bartolo was adamant that all stakeholders, including educators, students and parents, had been consulted prior to the unveiling of the proposals. However, the teachers’ unions have since lamented the changes came “out of the blue”.

We believe that a balance can be found

They argue the reform does not reflect teachers’ beliefs and seems to contradict certain decisions taken by the authorities in recent years.

The education authorities insist the proposals stem from the feedback received from all those involved and that they reflect issues flagged by teachers, students as well as their parents.

The parents’ association, however, says it only found out about the development “through the media”.

A spokesman for the association told The Sunday Times of Malta that as of the main stakeholders, “it can express its official position once it is provided with the official report prepared by the Benchmark Review Board”.

Asked whether the association believed the move to be a positive step forward, he said the banding system in State secondary schools had fostered an exam-oriented education system.

“MAPSSS is in favour of a system which includes part-summative and part-continuous assessment. This respects the different learning styles of students.  “MAPSSS also believes that success in the education system can be achieved only through the continuous collaboration of all the relevant stakeholders, namely the ministry, the students, the teachers’ representatives and the parents,” the spokesman said.

He said feedback from individual parents to the proposals had been varied. While some were in favour of the removal of the exams, others were adamant that the best way to assess children was through tests and exams.

“We believe that a balance can be found; one that makes the educational journey a holistic one which prepares the children for various challenges, including exams,” he said.