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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS Students and nationality Students enrolled in pre-pri- mary, primary and secondary schools in 2017/2018 academic year Nationality No % change 2016 Maltese 50,442 +0.4% EU states 3,499 +17.3% Non-EU 2,767 +15.6% Top 5 EU nationalities Italian 920 +24.5% British 813 +6% Bulgarian 344 +12.1% Romanian 167 +35.8% Swedish 155 +11.5% Top 5 non-EU nationalities Libyan 571 -8.9% Serbian 336 +50% Syrian 306 +39.1% Russian 200 +0.5% Ukrainian 116 +11.5% JAMES DEBONO MAKING Matsec exams completely free has surely relieved struggling work- ing-class families from a considerable ex- pense, but it only resulted in a marginal increase in the total number of 18-year- olds sitting for A-level exams. In an indication that by this slight in- crease students hailing from poorer fam- ilies might not be interested in pursuing tertiary education, the measure has not been much of game-changer in less afflu- ent southern regions which remain un- der-represented among students taking exams for entry to the University of Malta. In total registrations have increased from 4,899 in 2018 when half the costs were covered by the state, to 4,919 in 2019. But surprisingly the number re- mains less than the 5,185 candidates who registered in 2017, when exams were still paid in full. On the other hand, a statistical report is- sued by Matsec reveals that the number of absentees has shot up. Describing the removal of exam fees as one "to encourage students to further their studies" which contributed to an increase in registrations, the report notes that it is "regrettable, however, to note that there was also an increase in no shows." Absentees increased from 7.1% (Ad- vanced level) and 5.4% (Intermediate lev- el) in 2017, to 7.9% (Advanced) and 6.6% (Intermediate) in 2018, and to 11.8% (Ad- vanced) and 11.5% (Intermediate) in 2019. Although on a regional level the removal of fees seems to have had a marginal im- pact, an analysis by locality suggests that the removal of fees had a marked impact in localities like Marsaskala, Qormi, Sig- giewi and Rabat, which have a mixed so- cial composition. The largest increase in the number of registrations over the last year was reg- istered in the more affluent western dis- trict, which includes Attard and Balzan, where increases were marginal; as well as the more rural Rabat and Siggiewi where the increases where sharper. In this dis- trict the number of candidates has shot up from 585 in 2018 to 636 in 2019. In this region the sharpest increase was reg- Removal of exam fees no game-changer in poorer south Sharpest increase in numbers noted in localities with mixed social composition, number of absentees also on the rise KURT SANSONE ITALIAN children form the largest group of foreign stu- dents from the EU in Mal- ta's primary and secondary schools, according to the Na- tional Statistics Office. In the scholastic year 2017/2018, there were 920 Italian students in Malta's obligatory schooling system, surpassing British students, who totalled 813. The numbers tally with pop- ulation figures of recent years that show a growing number of Italian nationals making Malta their home. The largest student group from non-EU countries was Libyan with 571 students at- tending primary and second- ary schools, followed by Ser- Italian pupils are largest foreign community in Maltese schools bian children (336). The NSO figures covered pre-primary, primary and secondary schools run by the State, the church and private institutions. During the 2017/2018 scho- lastic year Malta had a stu- dent population of 56,715 up to secondary school level. These included 3,499 chil- dren from EU countries and 2,767 from non-EU countries. Foreign children made up 11.1% of Malta's school-age population, an in- crease of almost two points on the year be- fore. Class sizes and foreign language learning A general breakdown of student figures showed that 58.1% of all children (Maltese and foreign) attend- ed State schools, followed by 28.7% who attended church schools and 13.2% private schools. Average class sizes in both primary and secondary were the biggest in church schools, with State schools having the lowest average class sizes. Church schools at pri- mary level (Year 1 to Year 6) had an aver- age class size of 24.9 students, as opposed to State schools where the average class size throughout the six year groups was 17.1. In secondary schools, Church institutions had an average class size of 23 students across the five years as opposed to State schools where Region Number P.P. increase over 2018 North 751 +6.3pp N Harbour 926 0 Western 636 +8.7pp S Eastern 615 +1.6pp S Harbour 490 -4.5pp Gozo 461 -4.8pp Localities registering largest increase in number of candidates after removal of fees Birgu +150% Rabat 33.3% Qormi 31.4% Naxxar 25.7% Siggiewi 245% Mqabba 24.3% Marsaskala 21.4% With students hailing from poorer families not always interested in pursuing tertiary education, the measure has not been much of game-changer in less affluent southern regions