Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1522936
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2024 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Private school QSI eyes Attard's open space for extension THE private school QSI wants to build a new school in Attard and is requesting a rezoning of the land and building heights on a 5,666sq.m plot. The land is within the develop- ment zone and is situated between Triq ir-Ruzell and Triq Xatbet L-Art. It includes agricultural land in close vicinity to the Tu- mas Dingli Primary School and its sport grounds. QSI (Quality Schools Interna- tional) already operates a school in the Durumblat area between Mosta and Attard. The school wants to earmark 58% of the Attard site (3,292 sq.m) for school buildings while the rest will be left as "private open spac- es". The school will have a gross floor area of 14,790sq.m and will rise to four levels and a receded floor. The surrounding area is resi- dential and is characterised by two-storey high terraced houses and a number of higher apart- ment blocks. The land parcel is already des- ignated as a 'sports area' in the Central Malta Local Plan. Devel- opment on sports areas is regulat- ed by a specific policy which states that only development comple- mentary to the land's function as a sports area can be allowed. More- over, only development which "occupies only a part of the open space" can be allowed. QSI International School de- clared they are not the sole own- ers of the site but have informed the site owners of their intention to apply for a permit. QSI was established in Malta in 2007 and currently operates out of a converted villa along Triq Du- rumblat in Mosta, which includes 12,000sq.m of land and various sports facilities. QSI forms part of a group of 35 international schools offering ed- ucation in the English language, in a number of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South and North America. The organisation's world headquarters is located in Naxxar. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The only other EU member states with similar education sta- tistics are Portugal, Italy, and Spain with 46.2%, 41.7% and 40.1% of their respective populations hav- ing low levels of education. The Eurostat data shows that 31.1% of the Maltese population obtained medium education, which comprises upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education. The data distinguishes between general and vocational qualifica- tions for this educational level, with the latter being more focused on specific jobs. In nearly every country, there are more people with medium-level credentials with a vocational ori- entation rather than a general ori- entation. This was not the case in Malta. "The extent to which such qualifications prevail in a country reflects both national education systems and labour markets," Eu- rostat noted. According to Eurostat's data, 28.1% of Maltese are highly edu- cated, which includes people who attended universities and other tertiary education institutions. The data also notes that Malta, along with Denmark and Lux- embourg, stands out due to the difference of education levels be- tween men and women, where the difference stands higher than 7% in favour of women. Education spend is high, but outcome is below average A 2023 European Commission report on Maltese education and training notes the discrepancy between Malta's expenditure on education and its outcome. The report notes that Malta's spend on education and training in 2021 totalled 12.7% of total public expenditure, making it the third highest in the EU. The Com- mission noted that this shows, "the relative importance and weight of the education sector compared to other areas of public spending." Despite this, the same report highlights that Malta's education outcomes are "still below the EU average..." The report says that Malta's size- able spend could be the reason be- hind a 10% fall in the rate of early school leavers registered in 2022. This rate stood at 33% in 2005, when it was at an all-time high. Government 'confident' of initiatives Responding to MaltaToday's questions on how Malta's low output in education is being ad- dressed, a spokesperson from the Education Ministry referred to changes within the National Edu- cation Strategy. The 76-page document launched in 2023 was created through a series of 200 meetings with students, families, teachers, and other stakeholders. The gov- ernment spokesperson stated that the strategy is creating a shift from compensatory measures to pre- ventive measures to address early school leavers. "This strategic shift focuses on early intervention to address po- tential educational challenges be- fore they manifest, ensuring that resources are utilised more effec- tively to support students from the beginning of their educational journey." The spokesperson listed initi- atives such as the enhancement of early childhood education and teacher training as well as the de- velopment of inclusive education practices. Vocational training was also highlighted, as the spokesperson noted a "strong emphasis" on this form of training, "to provide al- ternative pathways for students, aligning education more closely with labour market demands and helping to reduce dropout rates." According to the spokesperson, government is confident that these measures will make the country's education spend more impactful. "It is also important to recognise that such comprehensive reforms take time to show their full impact, and we are committed to continu- ously improving the educational system for long-term success," the spokesperson concluded. 40.8% of Malta's population has less than upper secondary education attainment Education minister Clifton Grima