Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/750768
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2016 11 News INVITATION FOR ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EXCITING CULTURAL PROJECT FORMING PART OF THE 2017 MALTESE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: FUTURING OVERTURE OPEN CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WORK OF TIME'S UP, PLEASE VISIT WWW.TIMESUP.ORG Collaborate with international and local artists and come up with scenarios for the future of Europe and the European Union in creative and innovative ways. We are looking for people who want to share conversations with others, analyse today's realities from different perspectives and develop innovative ideas for possible future scenarios for Malta, Europe and the European Union. In order to make participation as easy as possible, we have set up four separate dates. Workshops will run from 10am to 3pm, on all four dates: 19 NOVEMBER 2016: Luqa Primary School, Luqa 20 NOVEMBER 2016: Munxar Centre, Gozo 26 NOVEMBER 2016: Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School, Naxxar 27 NOVEMBER 2016: Catholic Institute, Floriana PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS RESIDING IN MALTA AND GOZO ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS. During the first Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU, taking place from January to June 2017, we will hold another series of workshops, building upon the initial sessions. The workshops and subsequent events are intended to provide a platform for you to share your visions and to make your voices heard. To reserve your place, kindly send an e-mail on workshops@timesup.org by Wednesday 16 th November 2016 or ring (+356) 99112236 Schools struggling to keep up with foreign students admission requests JEANELLE MIFSUD PRIVATE schools have registered a record increase in admission re- quests by foreign students over the past two years, raising demand for more places in international schools. Heads of independent schools contacted by this newspaper have confirmed the increase in requests, with St Catherine's High School and Verdala International School con- firming that the waiting lists have increased. "We have long waiting lists at the moment for each class level, both coming from a local and an interna- tional arena," Sue Midolo, head at St Catherine's High School, said. Totty Aris, head at Verdala, said that their school was the "preferred choice" for foreigners on the island. MaltaToday contacted eight inde- pendent schools – servicing primary and secondary education – but only three were willing to give their com- ments. St Edward's College said that stu- dents had to meet strict admission requirements for their request to be accepted. Edwardian headmaster Nollaig Mac an Bhaird explained that stu- dents seeking to get into the school have to meet admission require- ments that allow the school to as- certain the suitability of the student and the education the school can provide them with. "To date we have managed to han- dle our admissions admirably with excellent results provided by our Admissions Department," he said. Parliamentary questions show that in Malta there are three schools that specifically cater for foreign stu- dents: the Quality Schools Interna- tional Malta, in Mosta, the Russian Boarding Upbringing and Educa- tion Centre Ltd in Marsaskala and the Libyan School in Ta' Giorni. A fourth school, Russian Boarding School in Bugibba, has ceased op- erations. Verdala and the Mariam Albatool School in Paola also host Maltese students. The increase of foreigners in Malta – which EU data placed at 6% of the total population in 2014 – means that the education system must now cater for foreign students who are spending their early years on the is- land. Adding to those attracted by job opportunities in Malta, amongst others, is the 2014 launch of the In- dividual Investor Programme which grants Maltese citizenship against €650,000, apart from a €115,000 investment in government bonds, and a €350,000 property (or €16,000 rental investment, annually for five years). The government now plans to is- sue a request for proposals for the development of an international school at Mtarfa. A consortium made up of independent schools is being mooted as backers for the project. Students come from all over the globe: Midolo said students came from both within and outside the European Union whilst Aris said Verdala's student body was repre- sentative of 47 countries. At St Edward's, 25% of the current student population are non-Mal- tese, Mac an Bhaird said. "We currently have students from as far afield as Korea, China, Canada, Libya, the US and Ireland to men- tion a few. In our IB, Form 6, we have 30 students from 17 nationali- ties," he said. "We have seen an increase in the number of South Koreans, Russians, Chinese Libyans, French and Ital- ians." Importance of flexible curricula Aware of the different demands, the three schools emphasised the importance of flexibility in educa- tion, offering various curricula or study programmes in order to adapt to the needs of the students. St Catherine's High School, for one, offers different types of provi- sion to international students de- pending on their level of English proficiency, Midolo explained. This includes the provision of classes in English at their A Class Academy of English while following the main- stream curriculum for other sub- jects. Students whose level of English is good follow the mainstream curric- ulum. Similar provisions are avail- able for Maltese and religion classes. "These different pathways facili- tate the integration of these students in the school both socially and aca- demically," Midolo added. St Edward's offers two curricula leading up to two types of examina- tion. "We follow the national cur- riculum at SEC and offer MATSEC 'O' levels along with the IGCSE, an international equivalent. In Form 6, we teach the International Bac- calaureate which is recognised na- tionally by the university and by top universities internationally," Mac an Bhaird said. Being an international school, Ver- dala also offers adaptable education in order to cater to the requirements of the students and their parents. "International parents choose us because we celebrate diversity and seek through our learning journey to empower and inspire our stu- dents. Our parents are looking for a curriculum that is adaptable to their own systems and the IB Diploma, which is globally-recognised, is an exceptional pathway to universities across Europe, the UK , USA or Asia," Aris said. Verdala International School pupils during an assembly. Photo: Verdala International