A study has been launched into the state of the teaching profession in Malta, with the aim of reversing a teacher shortage in several subjects.
The initiative is being taken jointly by the Education Ministry and the Malta Union of Teachers.
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo told a press conference with union officials that the government is committed to implementing the recommendations stemming from the study. He insisted, however, that teachers’ shortage in Malta is not as acute as in other EU member states like Estonia.
MUT President Marco Bonnici expressed his satisfaction that the union’s proposal to hold this study had been taken on board by the ministry.
Conducted by Prof. Mark Borg from the Faculty of the Education at the University of Malta, the study will, among other things, look into recruitment and reasons why teachers are increasingly complaining of burnout. It will suggest measures how teachers can be relieved from unnecessary clerical duties, in order to focus more on the pedagogical aspect.
Prof. Borg said the aim is to have the findings in hand by April.
Data will be collected through questionnaires and interviews with teachers, both serving and retired.
The MUT had repeatedly voiced concerns about a decline in the number of teachers. The Education Ministry was, at one point, mulling the temporary engagement of foreign teachers but the idea was ditched amid controversy.
Asked about the number of shortages so far during this scholastic year, Mr Bartolo said he was not yet in a position to give figures. However, he pointed out that English, computer studies and certain science subjects seemed to be the worst hit and, to a lesser degree mathematics.
English, computer studies and certain science subjects seemed to be the worst hit and to a lesser degree mathematics- Evarist Bartolo
While insisting he did not want to downplay the seriousness of the shortage, he noted that this was a problem which was affecting one in every three countries worldwide.
As for the number of teachers leaving the profession, Mr Bartolo pointed out that contrary to perception, this was not as high. Since 2008, around 1 per cent had left, he said. He added that last year the total number of resignations was 57, of whom “only” 34 left the educational sector as the rest joined other institutions like the Malta College of Science and Technology and the Institute of Tourism Studies.
Moreover, he said the intake in the teachers’ course at University for the current academic year was encouraging, almost double on the previous year.