Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/914278
maltatoday SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2017 4 News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "The current PIRLS mechanism does not recognise the current bi- lingual situation in Malta where children in the different school sec- tors have Maltese or English as their first language, and the situation of small countries where the relatively small student numbers do not allow big data statistical analyses. In fact, two other small EU countries Esto- nia and Cyprus did not participate in PIRLS 2016. Belgium is presented twice with the French speaking and Flemish parts. This was not possible for Malta in view of the small num- bers involved." The ministry's replies failed to address the fact that even if the country's bilingual reality and the size of the Maltese students' sam- ple was taken into consideration, the 2016 results were still signifi- cantly lower than those registered in 2011 – when the same condi- tions were true. For the purpose of the study, students were selected randomly from 95 primary schools, taking geographical representation into consideration. 2,033 students were selected from 62 state schools, 1245 students were selected from 25 church schools and 369 stu- dents were selected from eight in- dependent schools. The minister also pointed out the fact that Malta has registered in- creases in other areas as shown in the report. "Malta has registered a significant increase in home reading resources in the last five years, according to parents. This very much reflects the important efforts in recent years on the part of schools and the Ministry for Education, through the National Literacy Agency, to ensure better provision of reading resources in the home and in the early years of schooling. "One notes that it takes quite some time for the benefits of such an intervention to filter through the whole system and to manifest themselves in increased perfor- mance and outcomes." The minister also remarked on the increase that was registered in home digital resources, according to parents, as well as early litera- cy activities and related children performance at entry in primary schools. The proportion of stu- dents with early literacy skills has also increased, as well as students' reading enjoyment. "The percentage of Maltese school libraries having more than 500 book titles is significantly higher than the national average. Maltese parents have very positive views of their child's education, and Maltese students' engagement in school is significantly above the international average." The report showed that the scale score that measures safety and or- der in school ranges from 12.4 (Ka- zakhstan) to 8.7 (Slovenia). Malta's mean scale score (9.6) is significantly lower than the in- ternational average and less than the corresponding 2011 mean scale score (9.9), indicating that safety issues and order in Maltese schools have worsened in the last five years. The minister said the issue of safety and order in schools as perceived by heads of school was "a complex one, as it also includes bullying, verbal abuse of teach- ers, classroom disturbance, and theft." Other considerations In Malta, different types of schools were shown to produce different results. On average, church school students scored sig- nificantly higher in reading than state school students who in turn scored significantly higher than in- dependent school students. The percentage of Maltese stu- dents who have a computer or tablet available to use for reading lessons (49%) is also significantly higher than the international aver- age (43%). Internationally, students with computers available for read- ing instructions have a significantly higher mean reading score (516) than their counterparts who do not have computers available for read- ing (508). Reading attainment is also cor- related to the student's health, and the report shows that the percentage of Maltese students who almost every day arrive at school feeling hungry (40%) is significantly higher than the inter- national averages (26%), while the percentage of students who arrive to school tired (32%) is equal to the international average. Accord- ing to the report, healthy students perform better at reading than those who arrive feeling hungry and tired. 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We are now seeking fully qualified, experienced and seasoned candidates with a significant track record in education management and most importantly in senior leadership, to interview for the position of Principal & CEO. All interested candidates can apply in strictest confidence by sending an email to recruitment@mcast.edu.mt by not later than end of business day of the 20th December 2017. Alternatively, applications can be sent by post addressed to the HR Coordinator, HR Department, Administration Building, MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Hill, Paola, PLA 9032. Applications should include an Employment History sheet available from JobsPlus, a recent police conduct and signed copies of original certificates. For overseas qualifications, an MQRIC accreditation statement should also be included. JOIN THE MCAST TEAM VACANCY Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology Administration Building, MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Hill, Paola PLA 9032 t. 2398 7100 | f. 2398 7316 | e. hr@mcast.edu.mt | www.mcast.edu.mt TIA RELJIC A report on the progress in in- ternational reading literacy study (PIRLS) detailing the country's progress in 2016 found that bul- lying in Maltese schools is more prevalent than in foreign schools, and that it has not decreased in the last five years. The report, which was released this week by the ministry for edu- cation and employment, said that students' reading attainment is "positively related to a reduction in school bullying." The Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies is a comparative study of the reading attainment of ten-year-olds. It in- vestigates reading literacy and the factors involved in acquiring the skill. The scale score that measures lack of bullying in Malta was ex- actly the same as it was 2011 (9.8) and is lower than the internation- al average, indicating that bully- ing is more prevalent in Malta. The scale score ranges from 11.2 (Azerbaijan) to 8.4 (South Africa). According to the report, re- search shows that students who experience bullying in school are less likely to achieve. "Cyber- bullying is a new form of bullying that unfortunately appears to be common among students; and, like other bullying, cyber-bullying leads to low self-esteem, distress, and poor achievement." "Unlike [other forms of] bully- ing, the process of cyber-bullying can be shrouded in a cloud of anonymity for the internet bully." Around 16% of Maltese re- spondents said that they are made fun of a few times a week, and al- Bullying in Maltese keeping literacy rates Ministry says PIRLS test ignores Maltese bilingualism