Private tuition in Malta

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of private tuition among State school pupils attending Year 5 and 6 classes in the Primary sector and Form I and II classes in the Secondary sector during. the scholastic year 1997-1998. In order to achieve this aim, data were collected by means of a questionnaire from 1482 State school pupils, of whom 668 were boys and 814 were girls; 550 were attending Primary Schools and 932 were attending Secondary schools. Results indicate that 748 pupils (50.5%) claimed to have attended private tuition before the time of the study and 330 pupils (22%) were attending private tuition during the time of the study. The three subjects most frequently taken for private tuition during the time of the study are Mathematics, English and Maltese. The majority (58.8%) of the whole sample of pupils ( 1482 pupils) who answered this questionnaire consider private tuition to be necessary for educational upbringing. As opposed to the above statement, the majority of the pupils (67.3%) claimed that given the choice they would not attend private tuition classes.