Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2012

L.N. 239 of 2012

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Postgraduate Certificate in Education – P.G.C.E. -

Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2012

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74 (5) and 75

(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has

promulgated the following regulations made by the Senate of the University of Malta

by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by articles 75 and 79 of the said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the Postgraduate Certificate in

Education – P.G.C.E. – Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2012 and shall be read and

construed as one with the Postgraduate Certificate in Education – P.G.C.E. – Course

Regulations, 2007, published as Legal Notice 247 of 2007, hereinafter referred to as

“the principal regulations”.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable to courses commencing in October

2011 or later except for regulation 6 which shall be applicable from October 2014

onwards.

Amendment to regulation 4 of the principal regulations

For sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) of regulation 4 of the principal

regulations there shall be substituted the following

“(b) (i) The Board shall also recommend to Senate the number of applicants

that may be allowed to register for each area of specialisation in the Course, depending

on the number of school placements available. The number of available places shall be

announced as soon as the relevant information is made available to the University.

(ii) If there are more eligible applicants than the number of places

available, applicants shall be ranked according to the following criteria

Holders of a Ph.D. in the subject area

Holders of a Bachelor and a Master degree in the subject area

Holders of a Bachelor degree and a postgraduate qualification in the subject

area

Holders of a Bachelor Honours degree - First Class

Holders of a Bachelor Honours degree - Second Class Upper

Holders of a Bachelor Honours degree - Second Class Lower

Holders of a Bachelor Honours degree - Third Class

Holders of a Bachelor degree - Category I

Holders of a Bachelor degree - Category IIA

Holders of a Bachelor degree - Category IIB

(iii) If, after the rank order is established as indicated above, there is a tie for

any one or more places, the final average mark obtained by the student in his/her

Master or Bachelor degree shall be considered.

(iv) If there is a further tie, interviews shall be resorted to.

(v) For the purpose of selection, applicants who are clearly qualified by 31

August shall be placed in rank order and those for whom places are available shall

be accepted and informed accordingly. If vacant places are still available, applicants

who become fully qualified after 31 August and before 30 September shall be placed

in rank order and accepted to take up the remaining places.”

Paragraph (4) of regulation 4 of the principal regulations shall be

deleted.

Paragraph (5) of regulation 4 of the principal regulations shall be

renumbered as paragraph (4).

For sub-paragraphs (d) and (e) of paragraph (4) of regulation 4 of the

principal regulations there shall be substituted the following

“(d) for Science: a minimum of 60 ECTS credits at first degree level in one

or more of the following areas of study: Biology, Chemistry and Physics; up to a

maximum of 30 ECTS credits in Mathematics could be considered when offered in

combination with Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics;

(e) for Social Studies: a first degree with a minimum of 60 ECTS credits in

Sociology or Social Studies; and”

The following paragraph (5) shall be added after paragraph (4) of

regulation 4 of the principal regulations

“(5) In addition to the requirements indicated in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this

regulation, applicants for the Course offered on a part-time basis are also required to

be in possession of either

(a) four uninterrupted years of teaching experience in the subject area in a

licensed secondary school; or

(b) a Master’s degree in the subject area obtained following a Bachelor’s

degree in the subject area; or

(c) a doctoral degree in the subject area.”

Amendment to regulation 5 of the principal regulations

For regulation 5 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“5. (1) The Course shall extend over one year of full-time study or its

equivalent in part-time study. The Board may allow students to extend their studies

by up to one further year.

(2) The Course shall consist of the following components to which 60

ECTS credits are assigned

(a) study-units to which 36 ECTS credits shall be assigned in the

following areas of study, provided that for students admitted to the Course from

October 2012 onwards, a total of 38 ECTS credits shall be assigned

Education Studies (including Educational Psychology, Philosophy of

Education, Sociology of Education)

Educational Technology, Design and Innovation

Inclusive Education

Pedagogy and Curriculum Studies; and

(b) School Experience (10 ECTS credits) and Teaching Practice (14

ECTS credits, provided that for students admitted to the Course from October 2012

onwards, a total of 12 ECTS credits shall be assigned to the Teaching Practice.

(3) The Board shall stipulate which study-units students shall follow

in order to complete the appropriate programme of study. The programme of study

shall be published by the Board after approval by Senate, normally not less than eight

months prior to the commencement of the Course.”

Amendment to regulation 6 of the principal regulations

For regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“6. (1) Students shall be required to undertake School Experience

throughout the Course in order to acquaint themselves with the world of the school

and the classroom.

(2) The School Experience shall be assessed according to the grading

scheme indicated in paragraph (2) of regulation 9.”

Amendment to regulation 7 of the principal regulations

For paragraphs (1) and (3) of regulation 7 of the principal regulations

there shall be substituted the following

“7. (1) Students shall be required to undertake two periods of Teaching

Practice in secondary schools throughout the Course in order to gain experience in

the classroom.

(3) The Board is to assign at least two additional examiners to each

student. The main additional examiner is requested to present the assessment reports

for the consideration of the Teaching Practice Board of Examiners. The Board of

Examiners shall, in terms of the University Assessment Regulations, determine

the procedure to be adopted for the conduct of the examinations and may conduct

assessment visits to particular students as they deem fit.”

The following paragraph (4) shall be added after paragraph (3) of

regulation 7 of the principal regulations

“(4) (a) Students who, for health reasons, fail to attend for up to four days

should present a medical certificate within 24 hours to the Office of Professional

Practice. The medical certificate, drawn up by a Medical Doctor, should clearly state

the ailment which is preventing the student from attending school and should include

the name and the Medical Registration Number of the Medical Doctor.

(b) Where students are away from school for up to four days for

any valid reason, including health reasons, as well as in special circumstances for

which prior approval would have been given, they shall be requested to make up for

any missed teaching duties in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of

Professional Practice and the Head of Department concerned.

(c)

Students who fail to attend five days or more shall have to undergo

a full Teaching Practice Placement during an additional year of study.”

Deletion of regulation 8 of the principal regulations

Regulation 8 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.

Renumbering of regulations 9 and 10 of the principal regulations

Regulations 9 and 10 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulations 8 and 9.

Amendment to regulation 9 of the principal regulations

For regulation 9 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“9. (1) Students shall satisfy the requirements for the award of the

Certificate if they obtain

(a) 36 ECTS credits for study-units in the areas of study indicated

in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (2) of regulation 5, including those assigned to

the compulsory study-units, provided that for students admitted to the Course from

October 2012 onwards, a total of 38 ECTS credits shall be assigned; and

(b) the 10 ECTS credits assigned to the School Experience and the 14

ECTS credits assigned to the Teaching Practice, provided that for students admitted to

the Course from October 2012 onwards, a total of 12 ECTS credits shall be assigned

to the Teaching Practice.

(2) Results for the assessment of the taught study-units and the School

Experience shall be published as a percentage mark and grade as indicated in the

table below

Mark Range

Grade

95% - 100%

A+

80% - 94%

A

75% - 79%

B+

70% - 74%

B

65% - 69%

C+

55% - 64%

C

50% - 54%

D+

45% - 49%

D

0% - 44%

F

Both the percentage mark and the grade shall be recorded in the students’ academic

record. ”

Paragraphs (3) to (6) of regulation 9 of the principal regulations shall be

deleted.

Addition of regulation 10 to the principal regulations

The following regulation 10 shall be added after regulation 9 of the

principal regulations

“10. (1) Students who fail in any study-unit shall be allowed a supplementary

assessment, provided that students admitted to the Course from October 2012 onwards

shall be allowed a supplementary assessment of failed taught study-units to which not

more than 16 ECTS credits are assigned, including the credits assigned to the School

Experience and Teaching Practice.

(2) Supplementary assessment of failed taught study-units shall be

allowed on one occasion only during the same academic year the unit has been

followed, provided that the students had satisfied the attendance requirement of the

study-unit and the deadlines for submission of coursework, and provided they are

eligible in terms of these regulations.

(3)

Supplementary assessments of taught study-units shall be held as

follows

(a) for the continuous assessment mode: coursework must be completed

and handed in by the end of the September supplementary assessment session; and

(b) for the examination mode: at the supplementary session of examinations

held in September.

(4) Students who fail in the School Experience or in the Teaching

Practice shall be required to repeat them once only in an additional year of study.

(5) In any supplementary assessment, the maximum mark/grade that

may be awarded shall be 45%, grade D.

(6) Students who after the supplementary session need not more than

10 credits, including those assigned to the School Experience and Teaching Practice,

in order to successfully complete the Course may refer the failed study-unit/s to an

additional year of study.

(7) Students who fail the assessment of a referred taught study-unit in

the first session of examinations of the additional year of study shall be allowed a

final re-assessment in the September supplementary session, provided that they are

eligible in terms of these regulations.

(8)

Students who fail the Course are not allowed to register a second

time.”

Addition of regulation 12 to the principal regulations

The following regulation 12 shall be added after regulation 11 of the

principal regulations

“12. The provisions of the foregoing regulations shall apply mutatis mutandis

to the Course followed on a part-time basis, and subject to such changes as may

reasonably be deemed necessary by the Board due to the part-time nature of the

Course.”

Renumbering of Regulation 12 of the principal regulations

Regulation 12 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulation 13.

€0.63