MALTA: Record numbers in higher education

The number of 19-year-old students participating in higher education in Malta reached an all-time high last year with more than half furthering their studies, a report has shown, according to the Times of Malta. The proportion of 19-year-olds in post secondary and tertiary education increased from 31% in 1999 to 55% last year.


The report, drawn up by the National Commission for Higher Education, also shows that the average participation rate of 17-year-olds (the age when students complete secondary school) in post-secondary education stood at an average of 63% over the past five years.

The total student population in further and higher education increased by just over 50% between 1998 and 2008. This was mainly due to a significant increase in the number of students attending day programmes at the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology, set up in 2001.

Although still out of reach, these figures bring Malta a little closer to the EU's target of having 85% of all youths carrying on with their studies beyond secondary school by 2010.
Full report on the Times of Malta site