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Evaluation of the Reception Class Proposal (Download the whole review here.) USTA’s comprehensive review suggests that while an evaluation of the Maltese early years’ education is desired, the proposal to include an additional reception class between the Kindergarten II and the Year 1 is not the best option to address the aims that this same proposal is set to achieve. Logistic difficulties such as the infrastructural reorganisation and deployment of additional specialised personnel are very complex to resolve but surmountable in the long term should all stakeholders believe that this is in the best interest of all students. The review, however, reveals that an improvement in literacy scores is mainly attainable through measures that support and consolidate the teaching profession, and through an evaluation of the current practiced curriculum at this early stage. Reports criticising the pedagogy used in the ‘reception year’ in the United Kingdom on the premise that its curriculum is biased towards formal learning rather than on structured play, were consulted. Such a critique can help policy makers to refrain from adopting the same pedagogy but instead improve upon it. The targets which the introduction of the reception class aims to reach may be met through the restructuring of the early years. This should eliminate all the disadvantages brought about by an additional year, whilst being beneficial to all children, including those who need further assistance. Energy, expenses and resources should also be directed towards the revision of the first years of formal primary education which should be based on more play and less rigid learning components. It was also noted that any Government through its Education Division should provide the Faculty of Education with the necessary support to attract the most suitable and effective candidates towards the education profession. Incentives and initiatives should be launched to convey a strong message that a teacher’s profession is a career at the service of the country and its future, hence granting educators the status and appreciation they deserve. The organisation urges anyone interested in this area to access the whole review document from here. USTA would like to take this opportunity to launch its next review study which will look further into the evaluation process of the National Minimum Curriculum which has been launched in January earlier this year. Any student teacher who would like to participate in this exercise is encouraged to contact us on info@ustamalta.org.
........................................................................................... back on campusHi to you all once again! Hope that by now you are all well settled in for the second semester. We’re sure you’ve all got a lot to look forward to this semester! There’s so much going on, ON and OFF campus. Good luck to all of you going out on teaching practice. Hope you all make the best out of it, and enjoy the experience. It might not be easy, but it is always satisfactory in the end and well worth the effort! So break a leg to you all! Good luck for all the fourth years working hard on their thesis… hope you get it ready and finish it on time. While trying to keep up with all the activities around you, we hope you will find time to participate and contribute to the coming USTA activities. Keep hitting on to the USTA website, for lecture notes, job opportunities, and upcoming events. If you need any help do not hesitate to come forward, we are always ready to help whenever we can.
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