Literacy in Malta : the national literacy survey of year 5 pupils (aged 9-10)

Abstract

The Maltese nation recognises the importance of assessing the literacy situation in schools in both English and Maltese. For this reason, the Malta National Literacy Surveys on all Year 2 pupils in 1999 and on all Year 5 pupils in 2002 were carried out. This study is the second literacy study of its kind to be carried out in Malta. It is a follow-up to the first Malta National Literacy Survey, conducted in 1999 using the same cohort of pupils, born in 1992. The data gathered in these studies were then used for a Malta value-added study (Mifsud et al., 2004). This value-added study managed to provide both pre-test and home background data. When analysing pupils’ literacy performance it is essential to make allowances for attainment at entry and/or for home background variables. It is important to adjust for such variables rather than ‘write off’ pupils from less advantaged backgrounds and just assume that they will not perform successfully. Other similar studies conducted internationally have used either background data or attainment data at entry, but not many of them have managed to use both (Willms and Raudenbush, 1989; Hutchison, 1993; Raudenbush and Willms, 1995; Hutchison, 2003; Schagen and Hutchison, 2003). It is encouraging to know that such a study is the first to be conducted on such a small island, in the Mediterranean, and in an officially bilingual country, which is now an EU member.