56 tal-1991 (livellpost-sekondarju)

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B

L.N. 56 0( 199 1

IillUCATION ACT , I~

(ACT NO. XX I V OF 198H)

1"11111111111 Minimum C urriculum lI.q;ulaliolLS. 1991

(' 'o!it -St>rond llry l.t .'d )

IN cJ(crcisc of the powers conferred by !iection 45 oftiK: Education

Act. 1988 the Minister of Edllcu ion aoo the Intenor has made 111<

fo llowing rcguIJlions:-

........ ,,,., ... Cu rric I. ulum

The~ Regulations may be ci ted as lhc National Min imum

C"" . .. ,"' _

"""

R eglll~tions. 1991 (Post-Secondary Leve l). a nd shall come

into effect as from the 1st of Scplcmbc r , 1991 .

Nat ional Mi nimum Curricu lum

(POSl-Scoo ndary Leve l)

Th is curriculu m assumes th:1I fonnal education beyond the mandatory school age

will become. in t he ve ry near future. the IlOrm rlltherthan the e~CI!pIKm. and Iha l wh ilst

there will be a growing dh·ersification. it is wisc to have a common core o f kllOwlo!dge

and skills for sceuring its very qu~ l ity and relo!vaJ"ICC.

It il; in the interest of the student 's personal dc"elopment and his o r her flexibility in

adapting and ronlributing to socio-cronomie change Ihat this common rore. planted

and nurtu red in t he primary and scrondary school$. shou ld be further deve loped al

post-Scrondary leveL Evide ntl y it is also in t he general in terest t hat there sho uld be a

~"Ornmon cultural mean althis higher leve l.

Ai ms

W hmever t he nawre of the post·Secondary instit ution. whether immedia tely

"ocaliona l or leading to a late r spceia lisation. the curriculum followed should cont ain a

romll1on rore wi th the following ma in aims:-

Con tributing to the ed ucation ofthc " wholc" pe r~m;

(I)

(2) Helping to make studen ts more community-oriented th roug h the

p ro motion of dialOt;ue , ~ group approach, a ca ring att it ude towa rds others and the

wor k ethic

(3) G iving students a broader-based education in order to he lp promote a

grea ter flexibi lity in their adapting and contribut ing to changing pal1 ems of

em ploymen t;

u 23'

(4) Enl arging the students' outlook by encouraging them 10 re Oea matu rely

o n the speci fic learning derived from their chosen courses and helping them to

relate it toothcrfic ldsofknowlcdge wi thin 11 broad sociul and cu llll ral framework

CS) Preparing slUdenlS for dfecti~'e dcmocratK: Ih'ing by promoting cri tical

skills. incl uding the ability to si ft through informat ion in ... ·hat is essen tially an

infonnation age

(6) En abling students 10 become :;elf-dircclcd learners. ca~b1c of taking

charge of their own learning lit differen t stages of lhei r life: .

• ' un clions orpost-16Mlnlmum Curriculum

(I) Tne firsl function of post -ScoondDI)' educa tion is the initiation inlo the

process o f real specialisation. highlight ing all along the opcn..:ndcd prospect of life-long

e ducation. and oc\'c r sc\'cring the connection ... ·ith the main lrun k of knowledge .

(2) The secondary function of post-Secondary education is thill o f ksseni ng the

perce ntage o f citi7.cns who arc not properly qualified to perform a particular service in

"''Orking life. I 1 is 10 be noted tha t here. as in the earlier phllSC$ofthc fo rm al educational

process. t he principle o f the primacy o f the learne r mlClt he steadfastly maintained and

that specialism ion should he guided and counselkd. neve r foisted upon the student .

The ever·accele rat ing rate of scie nt ific and tech nological change, as well as the

rapid and cont inui ng mutalions in the cou ntry's economic de" clopment tre nds. ma kes it

imperative that we should slri"e 10 3chi"" 'e an optimal balance be t"" cen gellCml

ed ucation and vocational specialisa tion. and that . furthe rmore. the pedagogica l

strategies for a wider diversification of thi s phase should remain under constan t review

:md subjer..1 to periodic updating.

(3) The student should be mado:' to appreci ate tha t a broad general education is a

pre- requisite for thc acquisition of flelfibility.

Content

The subjects which are more close ly related to ihe specialisation the. student

intends to pursue will necessarily be prominen t and take up mOSl of Ihe time of formal

education . The m in imum curriculum encomp.1ssing these subjects must be determined

within the context of th e developmenlla king pla~"e in lernationa 1I ~ in each su bj,,~t area .

What constitutcs the common core cu rricu lum. outside the subjects of specific

special isa tion. should be grouped under the classir""3lions mad\: in the primary and

SCl'Ondary education national m ini mum cu rricul a.

Programmes should be designed with the follO'o"ing objecti,·t'S in vicw in the si~

specified areas

The moral cb.'I.~ifkation

( I)

An appreciat ion of moral prir>eiples in the governance of personal bch3~iour

and the organiS;ltion o f society;

B 2J6

an 3""arcnc:ssoflhe rigllluoo duties ohhe human ~1"$Of1 asan ;odi"idual. and

his obligation 10 ascertain his rightS aoo discha~ his duties 10 the be$t of his

abili lY

~ dedication to thc professiomt l ethics regulaling onc'scalling

a $e nS/: of re.ponsibility towards society and the crwirvnmen t consequent on

higherknowkdgc

a realisation of the imporl~~ of " «ping physically 61 and main taining

mcmal balance.

(2)

J'ersonal skills of rommunic>llion

An emphasis on the necessity of effect;,·c COf1Hnunica lion in both the ,"crbal

and the ",rinen media

encouragement of 5tudcnu 10 ask questions. and, in so doing. ask the righl

questions in the right wBy

mastering the ability of ,i";ng and recc;";,,, feedback

developmem o f analytic am' critical f3CUlties

reinforcement of numeracy and mathematical co mprehension

a" 'arenCMof compulcrsand bene, famil iarisation with informmiC!l.

(3)

'I'M discipli .... of sdenlilk mdhod

Cultivation of an appreciation of f,,'lan'$ achie.-cmO:nls in decoding the hidden

pa n ems of nmure und life;

the placing o f the discoveries of science in a hislOrieal pcrspcr1i"c underlining

their innuen~e on the course of history

encouragement of a propensity for rigour and precision- t he imrinsic essence

of the sOemirlCmcthod.

Cu ltural basis 0( ch -iliwd lif.

(4)

Tlle hislOr1cal backgroond of ourculwre .

CUTTem CVl;ms

(a)

PaTlicularc"o:nts

(b)

Underlying background themes;

a rudimentary kno .. -kdge ofEoonomicsand its innucnce in the (ieto:rmination

()(worldcvents;

th{' Arts - a deepe ning appre.:ia tion o f Literature. Drama, Music and

Figurative Arts as manifestations of the human sp irit;

environmental i\warene$$ - a re$pCCI for one common habitat on w~

well-being our ' ·C!,), emtellCe depends;

a historical peBpeClive highlighting Eu rope's common heritag<: enriched. as it

is. by multicultural diversity.

(S)

Work initiaUn

Enhancement of pmblem~""in, skills in management of difficultie!i;

promotion of a spirit of initiative and enterprise in prospeo:ti,'c ...-ork ethics;

cultiva tion of an appreciation for the technological appli<;:ation of science and

the fostering of a willingl\C$ll to panicipatc in technological production and

innovation.

(6)

Tbe . fTcctivedomain

llH: provision of normative dir«1ion. through guidance and a iife-skills pro-

gramme. towards thc formation of a !iQund pcr10nality able to handle emotional

rcsponscs in a mature manner;

the aetivc promotion of the g<X>d ~ of le~u re time by instilli ng in each

student enthusiasm for a sporting activity as well as for mller positive pursuits.

Learning (lUt('1)mf8

More exp licitly, tt is ~ing suggested that thC outcomes from all the education

imparted in post·Seconda!')' institutions. induding all training and \'OCItional educa-

tion. shou ld include the following common learning OutCOmes

(I ) moral "alues

(2) effective communication

(1) application of numeracy

(4) application of technology

I')

analytic and critical skills

(~l

understandin, of work and the world

pel'5Clnai , intcrpelSOnal and panicipato!')' skills

(8) positive anitudes to ehang<

(') I geno:ral historical perspective

(10) a wise use of leisure time.

Each educational establishment <hall develop its own detailed syliabus for iIII\Ufy·

ing the requirements laid down by the National Minimum Curriculum (Post·16). In

doing!iQ. it should be able to relale the oommon core to ilSOWn programme of studies

and OOaPl il lO the needs of individual students in a flexible and imaginalive way .

It was felt t hal . in outlining the national minimum curriculum for post-Scconda!,),

education, one should broadly follow the pattern and categoric$ adopled in the

curricula for the previous thfCf: stages. viz Pre-SchooI, Prima!')' and Secondary in order

loemphasize Ihe fact Ihatthe)' together form one organicoontinuum.

Change in any of t he pans is bound to have a bearing on leaching a.nd learning

funher up or down the chai n.

This approach highlights th e need to keep the education st ra tegies of our small

ope n economy under constant review. One should guard against a piece meal approach

to problems as they arise. The Ministry of EducatiOJl will strive to arouse a national

awareness of the magni tude oflhe: problem .!iO Ibat eva luation. review . adjustment and

reform o f the educational system become constant oonecmsof an irn:rcasinglycultured

and technologically advanced Maltese society.

Orlll tt'Sting

In the case o f the Icdtnology project in Syslcmsof Knowledge. where the lesl$ are

al ready school-based rather than national, oral exposition is an im~ant element of

the assessment process. Indeed il is necessary that onc should give more weigh ting 10

oral tests and this at re latively shorl. periodi c intervals. In this way. studen ts will be

assessed in an individual progressi\'e manner. Oral tests should carry at least one-thi rd

of the global mark .

Indeed a greater prominence given 10 oral testing al all levels will help learners

ide ntify the personal skills they lack and help tcachers take remedial action. Oral

testing. by encouraging communication skills. promotes worki ng in groups and affords

use ful insights inlo methods o f problem solvi llg. It also aids the post-secondary Sludellts

to O\'ercorrn:: emotional barrieT'5 to com mun ications. fO!ilering se lf.....,sleem as tM~

gradually refine tMir interpersonal ski lls. Preparing for orallcstsprompts them 10 forge

li nks be tween t hei r va rious learning uperiencc:s thus ma king for an inte rdisciplinary

approach to tho ught and milit ating againSI an ,.mreOective and mechanistic approach to

tife.

Furthennore. t he spoken or "living". as opposed 10 the wrillen. word will lead to

greate r estee m being accorded . throughout the different sectors o f post-Secondary

ed uca tion . to the d ifferent cultures which make up Maltese $OCie t ~ and which are

reflected in the student population.

It is importam to Slress th ot cumulative assessme nts should fea ture more pro-

m i nen tl ~. where appropriate. in preference to the presen t s~te m of lenni nal

examinations.

_ _ ~I"v.,--of l+>O

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Mi,b\o&II ft ., ................ .0 ..... _ 1'riN<4 .. N ~ ,."...", hrn

T he Nat iona l Min imum CU lTicu lum of studies for Secondary

" .. ",.,1

(' ~ f1'0<"1 urn ,

schools. for the purposes of section 5 of the Education Act. 1988. shall

he that se! Ou l in the Sched ule to IhCM' regula tions.