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EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Organisation of centre-based ECEC

Malta

4.Early childhood education and care

4.2Organisation of centre-based ECEC

Last update: 30 January 2024

Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting 

Childcare centres 

Children can start attending Childcare Centres from when they are around three months old until they reach the age of 3. Childcare centres have no admission criteria, anyone can enrol. Parental choice is entirely unrestricted except when a Childcare is fully booked. Parents’ choice of Childcare Centres is usually determined by several factors including vicinity to the home or workplace, opening and closing hours, pedagogy employed by the centre or simply positive recommendations. Parents can choose their preferred day-care facility whether state or independent. The Free Childcare Scheme applies equally to all sectors.

Kindergarten settings

In February of each school year, State Kindergarten accept a new intake of children who would have turned three years of age by April of the same year. Children are admitted to Kindergarten in October if they are three years old by the end of December of the same year. Kinder 1, which is the first year within a Kindergarten setting,  caters for students who are 3- to 4-year-olds,  while Kinder 2 classes cater for 4- to 5-year-olds.  In most cases, pupils attend kindergarten within their locality of residence. However, parents who would like their child to attend an alternative kindergarten may submit their request to the Office of the Head of College Network of their chosen locality, citing and justifying the grounds for their request.

Admission into Church Kindergarten settings is managed centrally by the Secretariat for Catholic Education within the Archbishop’s Curia. Selection is carried out through a centralised ballot system. The admission procedure gives precedence to children from church homes, children of employees in the Church Schools Sector and siblings of children already attending the school. Several places are reserved for children coming from challenging socio-economic background, children who shall require the service of a Learning Support Educator (LSE) as well as asylum-seeking children. A ballot system leads to a rank order, whereby parents may choose from the list of schools available.  Once the number of vacant places within each school is exhausted, students  are placed on a waiting list.

Each independent Kindergarten has its own admission policy, and parents are free to choose the one they prefer. 

Group size and child/staff ratios

Childcare centres

Childcare Centres provide a safe environment where children learn through play. All learning experiences provided are aimed at sustaining children's holistic development. In fact, training for Childcare prioritises holistic development above all other concerns. The Government invests in capacity building and upskilling of professionals working in the childcare sector. To this end, the Institute for Education has developed an Award of 30 ECTS at MQF level 3 in Assisting the Childcare Educator in relation to training activities within the childcare sector.

The National Standards for Early Childhood Education and Care Services (0-3 Years) require that Childcare Educators hold an MQF Level 4 (60 ECTS) qualification in early childhood education and care. The child to Childcare Educator ratio is established as follows, one Childcare Educator for up to three babies under the age of 12 months, one Childcare Educator per five children aged between 13 and 24 months, and one Childcare Educator per six children aged between 25 and 36 months. It is also established that one carer supervises up to six children in a group of different ages however only one child can be under the age of eighteen months in such group.  The ratios change as indicated below when there are Assistants to the Childcare Educators employed. 

Age of children (Months)

Maximum number of children per Childcare Educator 

 

Maximum number of children per Childcare Educator AND an assistant to the childcare educator

0 to 12 

3

5

13 to 24

5

8

25 to 36

6

10

mixed group

6

10

Kindergarten centres

Kindergarten Settings 

Educators at kindergarten level are known as Kindergarten Educators (KGEs). The minimum qualification to be able to apply for the role of Kindergarten Educator is that of an MQF Level 5 in Early Childhood Education and Care at 30 ECTS credits (ISCED 5). The Government invests significantly in capacity building and upskilling of professionals working in kindergarten settings. To this end, MCAST offers a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Years, an Award in the Creativity in the Early Years, an Award in Children's Care, Learning and Development, a Higher Diploma in Advanced Studies in the Early Years, and an Advanced Diploma in Children's Care, Learning and Development.  The University of Malta offers a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care as well as a Master of Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education. Additionally, several local private providers deliver similar training accredited by the MFHEA (Malta Further and Higher Education Authority). 

There are no teacher assistants in the Maltese education system although most classes include Learning Support Educators who are assigned to support specific pupils with a disability, communication or learning difficulty and who hold a formal statement of needs. The minimum qualification of a Learning Support Educator consists of MQF Level 5 certificate (ISCED 5) of 30 ECTS credits. Class Support Learning Support Educators have been introduced in Kinder 1 since October 2019.  These are assigned to Kinder 1 classes either when the class size exceeds 12 learners or when there are 3 students with a statement of needs saying that they require Class Support. In such cases Class Support is assigned irrespective of class size. This support system runs parallel to the system that assigns 1-to-1 Learning Support Educators to those children who require such specialised support. 

As per Agreement between the Government of Malta and the Malta Union of Teachers, (2017), staff to child ratios in Kindergartens are as follows: 

  1.  Kinder 1 classes:  for children ages 3 to 4 - a maximum of 14 pupils per class. This goes down to 12 students if the group includes a pupil with a statement of needs. 

  2.  Kindergarten 2 classes:  for children aged 4 to 5 - a maximum of 19 pupils per class, reduced to 16 if the group includes a child with a statement of needs.

  3.  In the event of joined classes due to limited physical space (two groups in one classroom), children cannot exceed 22 pupils for Kinder 1, and 30 students for Kinder 2.

Age of children

Maximum number of children per group

 

Maximum number of children per staff member

 

Maximum number of children per Kindergarten Educator

2-year-olds [not younger than 2 year 9 months]

14

14

14

3-year-olds

14

14

14

4-year-olds

19

19

19

5-year-olds

19

19

19

Annual, weekly and daily organisation

Childcare centres

The 13 Childcare Centres run by the state, through the Foundation for Education Services, operate between 5:30pm and 4:00pm or between 6:00am to 6:00pm. A small number of childcare centres are run by state funded public entities, these include, Jobsplus, the University of Malta, MCAST, and the Water Services Corporation. They all operate based on their individual policies in line with the National Standards for Early Childhood Education and Care Services (0-3 Years). All the remaining Childcare Centres are privately owned.  Each centre is independent and chooses its own opening and closing times. Private Childcare Centres generally open at about 7.00am and close around 5:00pm. Most Childcare Centres offer a service from Monday to Friday excluding national and public holidays. These centres are open during the summer period and Christmas holidays. A number of centres are also open during weekends. Childcare Centres follow a learning-through-play approach and employ a flexible daily routine which can change depending on the interests of children. 

Kindergarten settings

State kindergarten settings form part of primary schools, and they fall under the responsibility of the same Head of School, with the responsibility for their day-to-day running usually delegated to an Assistant Head of School. State kindergarten classes follow the same school calendar as the primary school of which they form part of. The scholastic year starts in October and finishes at the end of June. The school calendar includes two days of mid-term holidays in early November, two weeks of Christmas Holidays, three days of mid-term holidays in February and six days for Easter (from Wednesday preceding Easter to Wednesday following easter, both days inclusive).  Children attend state kindergarten from Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 2:30pm, except for the month of June when the school day ends at noon. 

At kindergarten level, while there is a daily routine, a fixed timetable is not followed. Kindergarten Educators adopt a flexible approach in the management of time with pupils.

'Out of hours' provision

The Breakfast Club, a ‘before school hours’ service, is run by primary schools whereby schools open from around 7am (60 to 90 minutes before lessons start) so that pupils whose parents or guardians start employment early can be cared for in a safe environment. This service is offered in every primary state school and gives the opportunity to pupils to have a pre-packed breakfast before school commences, as well as to interact with other pupils through play and other activities.

An after-school-hours service, Klabb 3-16, is available in most state primary schools, whereby students aged of 3 to 16 years can attend. This service, run by the Foundation for Educational Services (FES), operates between 2:30pm and 6:00pm on school days and between 07:00am and 05:30pm during school holidays, serving to bridge the gap between school time and the time when parents finish work. During the school holidays, the Klabb 3-16 service is also offered in the 5 Resource Centres [Special Schools]. A planned programme of activities is on offer, where children do their homework and take part in educational fun activities. The service provides a safe, stimulating environment with appropriate adult supervision and facilitation. Klabb 3-16 is provided against a fee of €0.80 per hour per child. In the summer months, FES also runs SkolaSajf in state primary schools and 5 Resource Centres. In 2023, this ran from Monday to Friday, between 12th July and 11th August 2023, and from 21st August till 7th September 2023. The service in mainstream schools was from 08:30 till 12:30 hours. Participation in SkolaSajf is charged at a flat rate of €25.00 per child. An extended service for working parents is also offered in selected centres, from 07:00 till 08:30 and 12:30 till 17:30 hours, offered against a rate of €0.80 per hour per child.

Length of School Day, Each Day of the Week: September to May

 

Out-of-hours provision (before lessons)

Lessons (starting and finishing times in the morning)

Lunch Break

Lessons (starting and finishing times in the afternoon)

Out-of-hours provision (after lessons)

Monday to Friday

Available (optional)

07:00-08:30

08:30-10:15

10:30 – 12:30

10:15-10:30

12:30-13:00

13:00-14:30

Available (optional)

14:30-18:00

Length of School Day, Each Day of the Week: June

 

Out-of-hours provision (before lessons)

Lessons (starting and finishing times in the morning)

Lunch Break

Lessons (starting after mid-morning break and finishing times in the afternoon)

Out-of-hours provision (after lessons)

Monday to Friday

Available (optional)

07:00-08:30

08:30-10:15

10:15 – 10:30

10:30-12:00

Available (optional)

14:30-18:00