Less-competitive examinations : a Utopian ideal or a practical solution?

Abstract

Following the reform in education based on the introduction of less-competitive examinations in Malta, the purpose of this dissertation was to study whether the way the Maltese people perceive of education has changed by time, and hence accepted the notion of less-competitive examinations, or whether the idea of an exam-centred educational system is still entrenched in the minds of the people to the extent that it is more powerful than the reform itself. A qualitative methodology was used, whereby interviews were carried out with College Principals and teachers. Furthermore a focus group was held with parents. The results of this study show that there is a strong tension between how College Principals and teachers perceive of education and assessment. The College Principals that I have interviewed are in favour of this transition because they claim that equal opportunities are now being given to everyone. On the other hand the teachers are not in line with this vision of education. The large majority of the teachers that participated believe that the former competitive system was more effective than the one we have today. This study shows that while College Principals are viewing examinations as tools for diagnosis, not the same can be said for teachers and parents. The main conclusion is that this tension between these important stakeholders in education has resulted in the reform to fail as only a few years after its implementation, the Maltese government has declared that the National Educational System is going to adopt a ‘banding’ strategy, a selection process based on examination marks. This reflects how powerful the idea of a competitive educational system is in Malta to the point that it is starting to re-emerge in the national political discourse.