Primary and Secondary Education in Malta

Abstract:
The Maltese compulsory education system has many differences from the American system, one of the most noticeable being the multiple levels of secondary education. In order to facilitate the transition of students from primary school to secondary school traditionally educators use standardized examinations, known as the Junior Lyceum examination in the case of public schools, and Common Entrance examination in the case of private and church run schools. Since there are separate levels of education in Malta, entrance examinations can affect a student's course of education, as well as their eligibility for higher education. These exams also affect a slightly higher number of men than women since girls' schools run by the church are mostly continuous from primary to secondary school. Such examinations are fairly controversial, and 2010 has even seen the demise of the Common Entrance examination. The exams have been relied upon less and less since their creation, with the eventual goal of complete abolition of these tools in the transition of primary students into secondary education.
Bibliography
"Assessment of Learning - Extracts from the Junior Lyceum Entrance Examination Reports."CMeLD Website. Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .
The Maltese government has provided past Junior Lyceum examinations as well as reports on the findings and statistics from these examinations. Such information could be useful, especially if any relevant connections to race and gender can be made.
Bonello, Gerard, and Charles Mallia. Times of Malta 1 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
Bonello and Mallia write about the removal of the Common Entrance Examination (CE), used in placing students into private and religious secondary schools. The article will be used for its information on the historical development of the CE and its role in the transition between primary and secondary education.
Malta. Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. Department of Information, Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
This source is a report put out by the Maltese government on the transition between primary and secondary schools. It contains comparisons of Maltese standardized tests to those in other countries, as well as comparisons between different Maltese schools.
"STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MALTA." STUDY IN EUROPE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ARTS, BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, ENGINEERING, MBA, SCIENCE. World Higher Education Database (WHED). Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .
This source contains basic information on the structure and flow of the Maltese education system. It is a little sparse, but contains some information that the other sources do not, such as progress to the University level.
Welcome to the Ministry of Education - Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .
More general information about the Education system of Malta, some of which is not contained in other sources. This includes details on education for low achievers, teachers in Malta, and adult education.