A new scholastic year has commenced in Malta, with approximately 8,600 state-school educators returning to classrooms. According to reports from the Union of Professional Educators (UPE), the opening of schools across Malta and Gozo proceeded smoothly, with no major issues reported. Notably, state schools did not experience drastic teacher shortages this year, although some schools still had to deal with the challenge of students awaiting assessments.
The scholastic calendar for 2024-2025, agreed upon by the Ministry for Education and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT), outlines 145 full teaching days and 27 half days for educators. The calendar also includes provisions for additional holidays and compensation for holidays falling on weekends. With the new academic year underway, educators are working to ensure a productive and successful year for their students.
Despite the positive start, challenges persist, particularly with regard to students awaiting statements. The UPE has highlighted the backlog in the Statementing Unit, which can lead to issues within the classroom. Nevertheless, the deployment of extra teachers in some schools has helped alleviate some of these challenges. As the year progresses, educators and administrators will likely continue to work together to address these issues and provide quality education to students.
