An appraisal of the 1985 population census and its implications on education

Abstract

This dissertation aims to establish the importance of a regular Census of Population within a country. This is due to the fact that a census provides information on the size distribution and characteristics of the population. Furthermore, in view of the results obtained from the '85 Population Census, this work inquires into the educational features and characteristics of the Maltese Population. The important role that education plays in the development of a country instigated a number of trends in educational planning. These were consequently adopted by Maltese Policy makers. The general 'Educational' policies found in Maltese Development Plans enhance the significance of education on factors such as age composition and dependency ratios. Educational development is also reviewed through literacy. The high literacy values derived from the population census make Malta all the more developed. However Malta is not entirely developed. As a result it faces skill shortages which can only be remedied by training and/or re-training schemes. Various suggestions for improved educational skills and training programmes related to the demand for labour in the near future have been proposed intending to ameliorate the educational standards of the workforce and to upgrade educational development of the country as a whole.