Decline in English O-level candidates continues unabated

The number of candidates sitting for the English O-level examination has continued to decrease over the past year, confirming a declining trend that has been taking place over the past decade. This represents a decline of 122 from last year and a substantial 535 decline since 2014.

Compared to 2010 the number has gone down by 1,081, but this has to be seen in the context of an ageing population and a declining cohort of students in this age group.

In an indication that it is low achievers who are mostly opting out of the Secondary Education Certificate examination system, the sharpest decline was seen in the number of candidates sitting for Paper B, an easier option chosen by the majority of candidates.

These have decreased from 2,156 in 2014 to 1,695 now, a drop of 461. In the same time frame the number of those who sit for Paper A only decreased by 74.

The total number of candidates registering for at least one O-level went down slightly by 79 from 5,878 to 5,799 between 2015 and 2016 and by a substantial 800 since 2014.

While the number of students sitting for English has continued to decline, the number of candidates sitting for their Maths O-level has gone up by 222 over last year’s figure but is 452 lower than in 2014. The number of candidates sitting for Maltese increased slightly by 15 but remains 336 lower than in 2014.

The results of the SEC 2016 May session have shown that the percentage of SEC passes (Grades 1 to 5) in the main subjects was approximately equal to that of the last couple of years, with a small percentage increase in English, Mathematics and Physics and a small percentage decrease in Maltese. 

Experts who spoke to MaltaToday last January attributed the drop to an increase in educational opportunities for 16-year-olds who do not require a pass in these exams.

Such avenues that do not require an SEC qualification in Mathematics, include the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary school in Naxxar, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) and now the new school in Gzira which caters exclusively for students without SEC qualifications.

“This non-academic post-16 branch is expanding and gaining prestige and credibility by the day. I see the expansion of this sector as one of the more important developments in local education,” Dr Michael Buhagiar, who lectures prospective Maths teachers in the Faculty of Education, had told MaltaToday.