under the auspices of the Faculty of Education

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L.N. 151 of 2016

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2016 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004

for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in

Early Childhood Education and Care – B.A. (Hons) ECEC -

under the auspices of the Faculty of Education

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 bye-laws made by the Board of the Faculty of Education in virtue of

the powers conferred upon it by article 81 (1)(c) of the said Act and which have been

approved by the Senate of the University of Malta as required by article 81 (2) of the

said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2016 in terms of

the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004 for the degree

of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care - B.A. (Hons)

ECEC - under the auspices of the Faculty of Education.

(2)

In these bye-laws, unless the context otherwise requires –

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty of Education;

“the Course” means the programme of study leading to the degree of Bachelor

of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care - B.A. (Hons) ECEC;

“the Degree” means the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early

Childhood Education and Care - B.A. (Hons) ECEC;

“the Faculty” means the Faculty of Education; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for University

Undergraduate Awards, 2004.

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Applicability

These bye-laws shall be applicable for courses commencing in October

2016 or later.

Special Course Requirements for Admission

(1) To be registered as regular students in the Course, applicants

shall, apart from satisfying the general requirements for admission as specified in the

Admissions Regulations of the University, be in possession of a pass at Advanced

Matriculation Level at Grade C or better in any one of the following subjects

Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, English, French, Geography, German, History,

Home Economics and Human Ecology, Information Technology, Italian, Maltese,

Mathematics (Applied or Pure), Music, Philosophy, Physics, Religious Knowledge,

Sociology and Spanish.

(2) Applications shall also be accepted from persons who are not in

possession of the general requirements for admission as specified in the Admissions

Regulations but have obtained the following

(i) the MCAST-BTEC National Diploma in Early Years OR the MCAST-

BTEC National Diploma in Children’s Care Learning and Development OR the

MCAST-BTEC National Diploma in Child’s Play Learning and Development OR the

Certificate in Pre-School Education (Education Division - Further Studies and Adult

Education Department) OR the Certificate in Childcare (Education Division - Further

Studies and Adult Education Department); and

(ii) a pass at Advanced Matriculation Level at grade C or better in any one

of the following subjects

Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, English, French, Geography, German, History,

Home Economics and Human Ecology, Information Technology, Italian, Maltese,

Mathematics (Applied or Pure), Music, Philosophy, Physics, Religious Knowledge,

Sociology and Spanish; and

(iii) a pass at SEC level at Grade 5 or better in Mathematics.

(3) In accordance with the provisions of regulation 15(1) of the

Admissions Regulations, the Admissions Board, acting on the advice of the Board

of Studies, may admit applicants into any year of the Course if in possession of the

following

(i) MCAST–BTEC Higher National Diploma in Advanced Studies in Early

Years OR any other comparable and equivalent recognised qualification; and

(ii) passes at SEC level at Grade 5 or better in English Language, Maltese

and Mathematics.

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(4) Applicants considered in terms of paragraph (c) of regulation 6

of the Admissions Regulations must be in possession of those qualifications and/

or experience that would satisfy the Faculty Admissions Committee that they have

reached the academic standard required to follow the Course with profit. The

eligibility of such applicants shall be decided by the University Admissions Board on

the recommendation of the Faculty Admissions Committee, following an interview

conducted by an interviewing board appointed for the purpose.

(5) (a) All applicants shall have achieved the level of Good Users, as

defined in the guidelines issued by the Faculty, in each paper of the Written and Spoken

Proficiency Tests in English and in Maltese, or a qualification recognised by the Board

as comparable, obtained not more than three years prior to the commencement of the

Course,

provided that for courses commencing in 2016 and 2017, applicants who obtained a

pass at SEC level at Grade 3 or higher, or an Intermediate Matriculation Level pass

at Grade C or higher, or an Advanced Matriculation Level pass at Grade C or higher

in English and/or Maltese may be exempted from obtaining a pass in the respective

Written and Spoken Proficiency Test.

(b) Applicants who do not pass the English and Maltese

proficiency tests at the required level (as applicable) by the 30 September, and are not

exempted from this requirement in terms of the provisions of these bye-laws, shall

not be admitted to the Course.

(6) All applicants shall submit with their application a Police Good

Conduct Certificate issued by the Commissioner of Police in terms of the Conduct

Certificates Ordinance, and shall not be included in the Register established under the

Protection of Minors (Registration) Act.

Applicants with other qualifications considered to be sufficient may

be exempted by the University Admissions Board, on the advice of the Faculty

Admissions Committee, from the whole or part of these special course requirements.

(1) The Board shall recommend to Senate the number of students

that may be allowed to register for the Course, depending on the availability of

human resources and the number of suitable classes available for the field placement

component. The Board shall announce the number of available places at the time of

the call for applications.

(2) When the number of applicants that may be admitted to the

Course is limited in terms of paragraph (1) of this bye-law, and the number of eligible

applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants shall be selected

according to the following criteria, the weighting of which shall be published at the

time of the call for applications

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(a) academic qualifications;

(b) experience in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care; and

(c) performance during an interview.

(3) When more than ten places are available, the interviewing board

shall interview a number of applicants that is 25% more than the number of available

places. Further groups of applicants as decided by the interviewing board shall only

be interviewed if all the places have not been filled.

(4) The interviewing board appointed by the Board for the purpose,

shall be composed of at least 3 members from the Department of Early Childhood

and Primary Education.

The University Admissions Board, after seeking the advice of the

Faculty Admissions Committee, shall first consider eligible applicants whose

qualifications were obtained in the Matriculation Certificate Examination or from

another examining board, if the Faculty Admissions Committee is satisfied that the

qualifications presented are comparable in content and equivalent in standard to

the Matriculation Certificate Examination in the same subject/s. For the purpose

of selection, applicants whose qualifications and the special course requirements as

stipulated in bye-law 4, were obtained by 31 August preceding the commencement

of the Course shall be considered first. If vacant places are still available, applicants

who obtain all necessary qualifications and fulfil all special course requirements as

stipulated in bye-law 4 after the 31 August and before the 30 September shall be

considered to take up the remaining places.

Course Duration

The Course shall extend over a period of three years of full-time study.

Programme of Study

The Board shall publish the programme of study before the

commencement of each Course. Subject to changes that the Board may, with the

approval of Senate, be constrained to make, students are bound to follow the study-

units and obtain the credits as indicated in the programme of study for the Degree,

provided that the programme of study shall be drawn up in accordance with the

relevant provisions of the Principal Regulations.

Students shall be required to register and pass in study-units to which a

total of 180 ECTS credits are assigned.

Field Placement

(1) There shall be a period of observation and teaching in an early

childhood setting, under supervision, as determined by the Board in each of the three

years of the Course.

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(2)

Field placements shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

(3) The Board shall appoint a field placement Board of Examiners

which shall follow the University Assessment Regulations and any other procedure

that the Board may determine for the purpose of the field placement, provided that

such procedures are in conformity with the University Assessment Regulations.

(4) Each student shall be assessed by at least two examiners as

provided for by the University Assessment Regulations. The number of assessment

visits shall be stated in the Faculty guidelines but examiners may increase assessment

visits as they deem fit.

(5)

Students shall be required to pass all the field placements.

(6) Students shall be required to abide by the Field Placement Code

of Ethics published by the Board. Any breach of this Code of Ethics shall be referred

to the Board of Examiners of the field placement and may result in a recommendation

to Senate for expulsion from the Course.

(7) (a) Students who, for health reasons, fail to attend for up to three

days should present a medical certificate within 24 hours to the coordinator of the

field placement. 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, the signature and the medical registration number of the medical

doctor.

(b) Where students are away from the early childhood setting for

up to three days for health reasons or for any other reason which the Board considers

valid, as well as in special circumstances for which prior approval would have been

given by the field placement Board of Examiners, they shall be requested to make

up for any missed teaching duties in accordance with instructions issued by the

coordinator of the field placement and the Head of Department of Early Childhood

and Primary Education.

(c) Students who fail to attend four days or more shall either be

required to repeat the whole field placement or, at the discretion of the Board, may be

required to carry out additional days of supervised practice during the same academic

year as directed by the Board.

(8) Students shall only be declared to have passed the field placement

by the field placement Board of Examiners. The academic and professional judgement

of the field placement Board of Examiners is not reviewable.

Classification of the Award

The Final Weighted Average Mark for the purpose of the classification

of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained in each year of the Course, all

credits being weighted equally.

In the case of assigning the classification of First Class Honours, the

Degree Classification Board shall take into consideration the students’ record of

performance during the field placements.

The Degree classification shall be published according to the provisions

of the Principal Regulations.

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