Students who have achieved high English A level grades are being offered free English language teaching courses to help plug the shortage of tutors.
A text message has been sent to students on a Matsec mailing list inviting them to contact the English Language Teaching Council for more information if they have obtained a grade A, B or C in their English A level.
Sue Falzon, head of the ELT council, said the free Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course was part of its efforts “to address the teacher shortage following the dire effects of the pandemic”. The course usually costs around €250.
The sector brings in millions of euros every year, with English language students spending €146 million in 2019, according to a Deloitte report.
Some 1,030 teachers and academic staff worked in the industry in 2019 but the figure plummeted to 584 after COVID-19 hit the following year and sank even further to 475 in 2021, according to the National Statistics Office.
The uncertainty brought about by the pandemic led to teachers moving away from the profession and seeking stability in other industries, said Jean Bonnici, director of studies at the Malta University Language School.
Some moved to mainstream schools or office jobs, where they were guaranteed regular hours, while others sought higher earning roles in the gaming industry, she said.
Hanging up their markers
Another reason for the shortage of teachers is that the industry has long depended on people of retirement age.
Keith Borg, director of studies at EC Language School, said many of these teachers had chosen to finally retire.
Meanwhile, after the industry was badly hit by COVID restrictions, student numbers are beginning to pick up.
Strong recovery for sector
Caroline Tissot, from the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta (FELTOM), said: “It has been a positive summer compared to the last two years.”
The number of foreign students attending English language schools in Malta in 2019 totalled 83,610, dropping to 16,491 in 2020 and rising to 27,853 in 2021.
It is still too early to establish the extent of the recovery this year.
A rise in student numbers and a shortage of teachers meant schools competed this summer for a smaller number of educators, Bonnici said.
School directors told Times of Malta that pay packages have increased with one complaining that bigger schools were able to offer more competitive rates and more hours, especially in summer, putting smaller or family-run schools at a disadvantage.
Teachers can expect to earn around €12-€17 an hour.
Carol Lashmar Spiteri is among those who have decided to leave the profession.
“My age, 73, was a factor,” she said.
Pandemic restrictions meant many schools opted for online teaching but she missed the interaction with students and colleagues.
However, she encouraged others to take up the profession.
“I’m glad I did the TEFL course, and the second career it gave me, and the opportunity of meeting so many students of all ages from all over the world,” she said.