Enlarged partial agreement

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe

History is taught as a part of the obligatory, combined course “Social Studies” without final assessment from grade 4 (age 8) onwards. History becomes an obligatory, separate course with final assessment throughout lower secondary education, grade 7 and 8. In grades 9 to 11, history is offered as both a combined, obligatory course with “Environmental Studies” – taken by all students – and an elective separate course, “History (Academic)”. Both courses have final assessments. History continues as an elective separate subject in the final grades of school, 12 and 13, either as “History (Intermediate)” or “History (Advanced)”.

In Malta there are three categories of schools: state schools, church schools and independent schools. All of them offer pre-primary to upper secondary education, and they are all regulated by the Ministry of Education. While both private (independent) and Catholic schools also follow the state history curriculum, they make modifications at the school level. History is offered in both English and Maltese.

In Malta, all types of schooling are governed bound by state regulations, which includes the selection of teaching content and approaches. There is, however, a degree of autonomy in regard to the choice of teaching foci that can be selected from a number of defined options, lesson planning and in the selection of resources and teaching materials. The authorities report that while civil society organisations are involved in the process of curriculum design, representatives of minority groups are not.

Les autorités rapportent que les groupes minoritaires (culturels, linguistiques, nationaux, religieux ou sexuels/de genre) sont inclus dans le programme d'histoire. Ceux-ci n'incluent pas les Roms et les Voyageurs.

 Curricula workstation by GEI (History curricula search by country)

The assessment methods teachers are required to use are essays, oral presentations/ exams, knowledge-based questions, source-based questions, multiple-choice questions, school-based assessments based on classwork and/or homework tasks.

End-of-stage examinations, there is no final assessment for the combined “History” “Social Studies course at primary level.  Final examinations are taken for all “History” courses, whether elective, compulsory, combined or separate in Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Post Secondary Education. The examinations are set at the national level.

End-of-stage examinations assess the following fields of knowledge: historical content knowledge, historical thinking competences (e.g., critical analysis and evaluation of evidence, formulation and justification of historical arguments, consideration of different perspectives), and social and civic competences (e.g., conflict resolution skills, demonstrating empathy, respect for diversity).

End-of-stage examinations are written, coursework based and classroom activities based. Written examinations include open-ended questions, close-ended questions, source-based questions, multiple-choice questions, essays and a classroom- or homebased task.

History textbooks and other educational resources are selected by the Ministry of Education and at the school level. Teachers are permitted to use materials not licensed by the authorities without any restrictions. 

Policies on the use of different types of educational resources are as follows:

REQUIRED	ENCOURAGED	ALLOWED	DISCOURAGED	NO POLICY
Primary documentary sources Teacher notes Visual sources (e.g., paintings, photographs, drawings)	Artefacts (e.g., paintings, architecture, sculptures, contemporary art) Audio sources (e.g., music, the sound of a steam engine) Audiovisual sources (e.g., newsreels, private archives, commercials) Cinema and documentaries with historical themes Museums and other places of heritage interpretation Websites and databases with historical content approved by the educational authorities	Local and regional festivals and traditions related to historical events Local cultural heritage (e.g., costumes, food traditions, celebrations) History textbooks Oral sources (interviews with grandparents, relatives, neighbours, etc.) Printed or digital press (newspapers and magazines) Reports on historical topics in popular magazines Search engines and websites with historical content not necessarily validated by the education authorities	Historiographical bibliography Literature (e.g., historical novels, graphic novels)	Apps for smartphones and tablets with historical content Video games

 International TextbookCat (GEI collection of Textbooks and Educational Media)

There are no prerequisites for teachers to teach history. Initial teacher-training programmes are provided by the University of Malta, the Institute of Education and other private institutions with a warrant issued by the Malta Qualifications Council.

At the primary level, teachers receive general training to teach across a range of disciplines. At the secondary level, teachers are trained to teach history and one or more other discipline(s).

In-service professional development courses are voluntary. The Institute of Education publishes a list of courses from which teachers can choose. Completion of such courses can help teachers advance more quickly to a higher scale, which would otherwise require more years of service. The courses are provided by the Head of the College Network and the Head of Schools, the Director for Learning and Assessment Programmes, and the Education Officer responsible for history education (primary or secondary).

 Maltese History Teachers’ Association (presentation by EuroClio)

 Maltese History Teachers’ Association (official website)