1. Education and Schooling The Maltese Experience Raymond Spiteri B.Ed (Hons.) M.A. Head of Department (History) Department of Curriculum Management and eLearning Ministry of Education and Employment

2. 1. Schooling in Malta AgeType of Schooling  Age 3 to 5Kindergarten Years I and II  Age 5 to 11Primary Years 1 to 6  Age 11 to 16Secondary Forms 1 to 5  Age 16-18Upper Secondary 1 st and 2 nd Year  Age 17+Tertiary Education: University of Malta, MCAST or ITS.

3. 2. Schools in Malta Type of School% of students  State Schools grouped in 10 Area Colleges65  Catholic Schools25  Independent or Private Schools10

4. 4. History Teaching in State Primary Schools  Years 1, 2 and 3 Age: 5-8 Introduce pupils with the notion of the present and the past making use of the following themes: the self, the toys, the family, the neighbourhood, the school, the holidays, transport, shops, clothes and houses.  Years 4, 5 and 6 Age: 8-11 Introduce pupils to certain historical themes of local and national interest: Maltese personalities, leisure, national and local feasts, the town or village, the old historic towns, Maltese prehistory and the nation’s historical landmarks.

5. 5. History Teaching in State Secondary Schools History lessons are presented in a thematic or chronological framework. Form Age Lessons per week Main Themes in the Syllabus Form 1 Age 11-12 2 Prehistoric times and ancient Mediterranean civilizations and their impact on Malta. Form 2 Age 12-13 2 A selection of Medieval themes of national and pan-European significance. Form 3 Age 13-14 1 Patch history on Malta under the rule of the Hospitallers. Form 4 Age 14-15 1 Patch history on Malta under the British. Industrial Revolution and the Two World Wars. Form 5 Age 15-16 1 Environmental issues effecting historical sites. Post-Independence Malta.

6. 6. History Option Classes in State Secondary Schools A total of 22 subjects (sciences, humanities, performing arts, foreign languages) are offered to the students at the end of Form 2. Students choose two subjects for specialization. Each subject chosen has four lessons per week, usually grouped as double lessons. The History Option syllabus is divided 50-50 between Maltese and European/International History.  Forms 3 to 5 Maltese History themes starting with the arrival of the Hospitallers in 1530 and ending with Malta’s EU membership in 2004.  Forms 3 to 5 European/International themes starting with the Renaissance and ending with the 2004 EU enlargement.

7. 7. The main aims of teaching history  To stimulate interest in and enthusiasm for a study of the past, provide an appropriate integration of national history within a wider international context, prepare students for better citizenship.  To promote the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of human activity in the past linking it with the present and helping students to understand political, social and cultural developments over time.  To promote an understanding of the key technical historical concepts that help students organise knowledge and ideas about history, make generalisations, identify similarities, differences, patterns and connections.  To develop historical skills and competencies necessary for students to undertake historical enquiries through a critical handling of historical evidence and development historical empathy. Directorate for Quality & Standards in Education, Curriculum Management and eLearning Department.

8. 8. Objectives of Secondary School History  Teachers should present history in an interesting way to motivate their students according to the ‘New History’ methodology.  Teachers should not just supply information but should empower students to understand and master the technical concepts of time, sequence, chronology, change, continuity, causation, consequence, similarity, difference and significance.  Teachers should help students develop the skill of empathy and train them in working with sources.  The teaching of our national history should be done within a wider Euro‐Mediterranean background and within an environmental context in which students appreciate our heritage and the need for conservation and restoration. Directorate for Quality & Standards in Education, Curriculum Management and eLearning Department.

9. 9. Teachers are advised to make use of the following strategies and resources:  Teacher-made graded worksheets or workbooks  Student pair or group discussions or tasks  On-site visits and tasks  Class-based role plays  Analyse different types of primary and secondary sources  Class or school based exhibition of students’ work  Interactive games and quizzes  Use the History website of the Curriculum Department  Use ICT resources for powerpoints and photostories  Use video, documentary or film clips