Education ministry ill-equipped for curriculum reform, MUT warns

The Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has raised concerns over a proposed curriculum reform, warning that the Education Ministry lacks specialist staff and functioning advisory boards.

The union said the ministry’s Curriculum Department lacks a solid structure, with no officer currently heading the department and a shortage of curricular expertise.

It also pointed out that calls for subject specialists, including education officers and heads of department, are not being issued, while some subjects have had vacant curricular leadership posts for years.

Furthermore, the MUT said curricular boards, including the National Curriculum Framework Board, are dysfunctional and have not convened for several months.

The statement follows comments made by Education Minister Byron Camilleri, who confirmed that a revision of the school curriculum is already underway.

The proposed changes follow the publication of PISA results showing a significant decline in students’ performance in science, mathematics and reading.

Camilleri described the results as "not satisfactory," although not entirely negative, insisting that the time had come to update Malta’s education curriculum "to prepare the men and women of tomorrow."

While acknowledging that changes to the curriculum are necessary, the MUT stressed that the ministry must first ensure the appropriate structures are in place.

It argued that any reform must be based on research, an evaluation of the existing curriculum, specialist expertise, together with the participation of educators and stakeholders.

These should include the University of Malta’s Faculty of Education, the Institute for Education (IFE), MCAST, the Foundation for Educational Services (FES), the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), along with Church and independent schools.

However, the union criticised the fact that educators had only learned about the proposed reform through the media, raising concerns about their involvement in the process.

It also accused the ministry of engaging dozens of managers with no background in education or specialised knowledge of curriculum development.

The MUT stressed that any reform would shape the direction of Malta’s education system for years to come, affecting thousands of educators, students and families.

It therefore called for changes that consider students’ holistic development, career prospects and the opportunities and challenges of an evolving world.

The union noted that the last major curriculum review was published in 2012 through the National Curriculum Framework.

Since then, assessment methods have been revised through the Learning Outcomes approach, while school-based assessment has also been introduced.

However, the MUT warned that neither approach has yet undergone a proper evaluation, insisting that further reforms should not proceed without assessing the effectiveness of existing models.

The union also called on the ministry to clarify whether the proposed changes would affect individual subject syllabi, the broader curriculum framework or both.

It further questioned whether the reform would apply to compulsory, pre-compulsory or post-compulsory education, or across all sectors.