There were 58,047 enrolled students in Malta for 2020/21

Oct 27 2022

There were a total of 58,047 enrolled students across pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in Malta for the 2020/21 academic year. This is an overall 0.4% decease over the previous academic year.

Just over half of the students enrolled across the three school levels were male, at 52%. During the same academic year, 46.2% of the students were aged between 5 and 10, followed by the 11-15 age bracket at 37.2%.

58.8% of students attended state-run institutions, whereas church schools and independent schools accounted for 27.6% and 13.6% of enrolments respectively.

Total students enrolled in mandatory education during 2020/21 stood at 48,731. 55.3% of these attended primary school, with the remaining 44.7% attending secondary school.

In comparison to academic year 2019/2020, students decreased by 0.3% in primary and increased by 1.7% in secondary. The average class size for all schools at primary level was 17.7 students per class. For secondary level it was 18.7 students per class. Class size was lowest in state schools, with church schools having the highest average class size. Year 5 levels had an average class size of 24.

Students with a foreign nationality accounted for 13.9% of students during 2020/21 enrolled from pre-primary to secondary. Foreign students at these levels increased by 2.8% over academic year 2019/20. The majority of foreign students (59.7%) were Non-EU nationals.

The most popular foreign language studied at secondary level was Italian, followed by French, Spanish and German.

Full report by National Statistics Office (NSO) here.

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Tributes pour in for late University graduate Miguel Borg

Oct 27 2022

Tributes poured in for Miguel Borg, a University of Malta Mechanical Engineering graduate who completed his course despite suffering from a terminal illness.

The news was announced via the official University of Malta page, sharing the touching memory of Rector Prof. Alfred J. Vella visiting Miguel at his home to hold a private graduation ceremony.

‘Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of Miguel Borg, who has sadly passed away earlier this morning following a terminal medical condition affecting his health’ the post read.

Borg found out about his illness during the course, as he worked to improve compressed air systems and better competitiveness in manufacturing during his thesis.

Borg was also one of the students who represented UOM in the Formula SAE competition at Silverstone in 2019. Described as a determined and courageous students by other classmates, the news of his passing saw many issuing touching tributes to the late graduate.

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PwC join forces with MCAST to make students industry ready

Oct 27 2022

The Malta College for Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) and PwC Malta (PwC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which will further strengthen the spirit of collaboration between the two organisations.

Through this new agreement, both parties will collaborate to design and review study programmes offered by the College.

This partnership also aims to ensure the offering of more industry-relevant study programmes offered at MCAST. MCAST Principal and CEO Professor Joachim James Calleja explained, “At MCAST, our strong collaborations with industry partners and understanding of future needs means our diverse courses are created with students’ careers in mind.

We look forward to this collaboration with PwC as we continue our pro-active approach to build strong connections with the business world where teaching and learning activities have a professional and entrepreneurial focus.”

On its part, PwC has agreed to further increase its apprenticeships and internship opportunities to MCAST students. Additionally, a structured student summer programme to widen the hands-on approach experience of MCAST students will be launched.

The College students will be able to gain industry experience with PwC. Moreover, industry experts from PwC will also be delivering thematic lectures to MCAST students in diverse areas of expertise as may be requested by the College.

David Valenzia, PwC’s Territory Senior Partner stated, “PwC believes that it is the responsibility of industry to invest in the student population as the future of our society lies with its youths.

We will continue to support students to the best of our ability, and, with MCAST, we are excited and look forward to working with both the educators and students, who are the workforce and leaders of tomorrow”. MCAST has also agreed to design, furnish and equip a dedicated PwC space on campus. MCAST student organisations are also set to receive support from PwC.

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Brass House Unit celebrate 8th year anniversary with stylish rebranding

Oct 26 2022

On their 8th year anniversary, local music group Brass House Unit are celebrating their past and future with a gorgeous rebrand ahead of a stint of exciting shows.

Since their first concert at the University of Malta in 2014, the Brass House Unit built a very good reputation, with the mind behind the collective Kevin Abela stating that he is constantly looking for opportunities for growth with the mantra “Good is never enough”.

“Brass House Unit is my baby so I always want the best for it.”

“I always try to think outside the box like we did with our successful ‘Disco Royale’ nights. In these changing times, I want Brass House Unit to continue growing and that is what instigated the rebrand this year”, he stated.

Abela told Malta Daily that Brass House Unit is not just another “function” band, constantly striving to better themselves and push the envelope ahead of another new concept this New Years Eve in Valletta.

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A post shared by Brass House Unit (@brasshouseunit)

Speaking about the future of Brass House Unit, Abela intends to take it to the next level and showcase the brand’s product internationally and hitting the big stages.

“Together with our incredible team made up of musicians, singers and sound engineers who work tirelessly to earn the reputation that BHU now has, I believe that we have all the foundations in place to reach that goal!”

With a new rebrand and a number of exciting shows lined up, make sure you keep an eye on Brass House Unit!

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