Cyprus & Malta Education Systems


CYPRUS

Compulsory education lasts 9 years, from 6 to 15 years:
The school system is as follows:
Primary School (6–12)
Secondary School / Gymnasium (12-15)
Secondary school / Secondary education (15-18)

Nipiagogelo (generic term for nursery school and kindergarten); Prodimotiki (preschool year).
Nursery, approximately 3 years (from 3 months to 3 years old); kindergarten, around 2 years (from 3 years to 4 years and 8 months); pre-school year, (from 4 years and 8 months to 5 years and 8 months).

Nursery schools are managed by the Department for assistance services, related to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and has three types of offering: public, community (operating only in areas where public schools are not sufficient to cover the requirements) and private. In particular, the few places available at public nurseries are given to children of middle and low-income families; kindergartens are subject to inspections by the Ministry, unless they have been set up in combination with a nursery school, in which case they are subjected to inspections by the Ministry of Education.

The main objectives of nursery schools are established by the Department for assistance services. Nursery schools are opend to children from 3 months. The nursery school fees are established by their headteachers. For nursery schools there is one teacher per group, whose number varies according to the age of the children (3 years old: 24 children, 2 years old: 16 children, and children under 2 years old: 6 children).

A “typical day” of a nursery includes the arrival of the staff at 6:45, children are left by their parents between 7 and 7:30, and can be taken back at any time until 5pm, closing time. Nursery daily activities are based on age and number of children and the program is decided by the headteacher.
The Ministry of Education and Culture is the person in charge for the schools for children, which also provide for three types of offer (public, community and private).

The general objectives and aims of the kindergarten are presented in the curriculum for the pre-primary. High school entrance is allowed from 3 years old; from 2004, pre-primary education is compulsory and free starting from 4 years and 8 months, The Government supports nursery schools; however, family allowances are offered based on the number of children and for low-income families.

Classes are organized by age groups The minimum number of children per class is 15. Usually, there is a teacher for about 16 children.
Early childhood schools are opened Monday to Friday from 7:45 am to 1:05 pm. For nursery school, the daily organization and duration of activities are flexible and are oriented to the needs and interests of children, in order to develop their emotional and psychomotor skills.

The current curriculum of the pre-primary school (2005 edition) is part of the primary level curriculum. Nursery teachers are not required to hold a teaching qualification, since they do not work in educational institutions, in the public sector they are qualified personnel in the field of social assistance; to teach, on the other hand, at least one two-year diploma with a specialization in the field of childhood education is required.
Nursery school teachers, on the other hand, like those at primary level, must hold a four-year university degree.

MALTA

Child day care center (kindergarten) and Kindergarten centers (childcare centers).
Child day care centers last 2 years (from 1 to 3 years old), and Kindergarten centers last 2 years (from 3 to 5 ).
The Ministry of Education is the person in charge for Kindergarten centers, while the care for nursery schools belongs to the Ministry for the Family.

Nurseries, care and assistance centers are mainly offered by private people, the number of children aged 1-2 should not exceed 15 per group. The time schedule of activities was established in 1994 by an agreement between the Government and the Maltese Teachers Union.
Preschool education, organized in primary institutions, is offered free of charge to all children aged 3 to 5.

Attendance is not compulsory, however approximately 98% of children between 3 and 4 years old attend a childcare center. Children are grouped by same age. The maximum number of 3-year-old per group is 15, while the maximum number for 4-year-old is 20.
All state Kindergartens provide 5 hours and 30 minutes of full-time daily activities., but offers also part time activities.
Full-time week includes 27 hours and 30 minuteswhile part-time week is organized in 18 hours and 45 minutes.

Usually, children stay at the Kindergarten during the lunch break, supervised by the assistant. Kindergartens opened between 8 and 8:30 am and closed between 2 and 3 pm.
The National Minimum Curriculum, established in 1989 and revised in 1999, establishes the general objectives of the pre-school level according to the following aspects:

intellectual development, emotional, physical, moral, development of the aesthetic and creative sense and religious development. State school assistants receive an official document containing pre-school education guidelines, which reinforces the objectives of the national minimum curriculum, and that underlines the importance of supporting children in the transition to compulsory education.

Teaching staff, ie childcare assistants, must hold a diploma from the institute for community services, which is headed by the institute for arts, science and technology (Malta College or Arts, Science and Technology – MCAST).

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