Mixed-language classrooms under pressure as student skills dip
Native Maltese students and international learners are being taught together in the same Maltese language classes across many state schools — a policy now under scrutiny after national test scores showed sharp declines in core skills.
Malta’s 15-year-olds scored 439 in maths (down 27 points since 2022), 415 in reading (down 31 points), and 453 in science (down 13 points) in the 2025 PISA assessment — all below the OECD average for the first time in the survey’s history. These results have triggered alarm among educators, who say the current one-size-fits-all approach in classrooms may be worsening outcomes for both local and migrant learners.
No clear separation, uneven support
While some schools offer separate Maltese-language streams for native and non-native speakers, most do not. This creates a patchwork system where students in similar neighbourhoods may experience vastly different levels of instruction — with native speakers often held back by lessons pitched too low, and foreign learners struggling to keep up without targeted support.
Professor Carmel Borg of the University of Malta’s Faculty of Education described the government’s silence on these results as “deeply concerning.” She pointed to overloaded curricula and inconsistent teacher training as key factors. “We’re teaching too much, too fast,” she said. “Students aren’t gaining fluency — they’re just passing through topics.”
The university’s response
At higher education level, the University of Malta is preparing future teachers to handle classroom diversity through dedicated postgraduate modules:
• EDU5958: Culturally Responsive Education Programmes and Settings — trains educators to adapt teaching methods to linguistic and cultural diversity
• IAL1026: Responding to Diversity in the Primary Classroom — focuses on differentiated instruction for mixed-ability groups
• Diploma in Education for Cultural Mediation (MQF Level 5) — equips staff to bridge communication gaps between schools and families from migrant backgrounds
These initiatives are part of the university’s Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which identifies inclusive pedagogy as a core priority. Its NCPE Equality Mark Certification (2024) confirms institutional commitment to equitable learning environments.
The bigger picture
International students now make up 37% of Malta’s tertiary enrolment, contributing to a vibrant, multilingual campus culture. However, this diversity has not yet translated into fully effective support structures at primary and secondary levels.
The Malta Union of Teachers insists that separating students by language or ability would violate the nation’s inclusive ethos. President Marco Bonnici said: “Schools should reflect the society we live in — not run from it.”
But with Malta’s PISA scores sinking, the question is no longer whether to integrate — but how to integrate better. As one senior educator noted: “You can’t expect a native speaker to thrive if the class moves at the pace of a beginner. And you can’t expect a child who’s never heard Maltese at home to catch up without extra help.”
For parents, that means the real issue isn’t whether foreign students are in classrooms — it’s whether teachers have the time, training, and tools to serve every child, regardless of their starting point.
The Ministry for Education has not yet outlined a plan to change classroom practices ahead of the 2027–2028 school year. Until then, the gap between policy and practice will continue to widen — and so too will the gap in student outcomes.
