The Centre for Literacy is a research and development centre that focuses on the area of literacy and other basic skills. Its mission is to respond productively to the increased need for literacy and other basic skills issues to be addressed in both professional development and research. The Centre is involved in policy advice, consultancies and training for different educational and professional bodies, ministries, national agencies and institutions.  These include the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Ministry for Social Policy, the Employment and Training Corporation, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the Foundation for Educational Services (FES), State, Private and Church schools and a number of non-governmental organisations.

The Centre for Literacy strives to improve practice and inform policy through the generation of knowledge by creating a strong research culture and by developing professional practice.  It is committed to the promotion of high quality research and its effective communication, especially in areas related to children’s literacy and to maintaining strong partnerships with schools and the wider educational community.

The Centre has carried out two National Literacy surveys and a follow up Value Added Study. The findings in all cases have been published.

Literacy Provision Project: Following the National Literacy Surveys, a detailed case-study project has been embarked on to identify the characteristics of effective schools especially with regard to their plans to improve the quality of the education in the school with particular reference to literacy.

Effective Literacy Practices in Primary Schools: The two National Literacy Surveys and the value added study were important in gauging the literacy attainment of all Maltese pupils at Year 2 and Year 5 levels.

National Mathematics Survey: As a result of the success of the two National Literacy Studies and the value added study in literacy, a national baseline assessment of all Year 1 pupils’ mathematical skills was conducted in 2004.

Modern Foreign Languages Project: The Literacy Unit is working towards improving and developing the methods of foreign language learning in schools, through the use of new technologies and other visual-aided material with specific reference to literacy. It is involved in a number of European Union and Euro-Mediterranean funded projects aimed at improving the teaching and learning of modern foreign languages through emerging pedagogies and innovative media. Projects include the creation of databases hosting language resources, bringing together foreign language specialists from across Europe. These projects include: UNITE e-and m-learning for effective teaching and learning scenarios (FP6), Lingua projects like Lingu@net (a virtual language learning resource library); eEuroInclusion; TOOL (on-line language teaching and learning); Europodians (Language Learning via Ipods), ENLU; FEEL and so on.  The large-scale EUMEDIS ODISEAME (Euro-Mediterranean project for Open and Distance Learning of Literacy in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East); TNP 2/3 Thematic Network Projects in Language and Literacy, etc.

Literacy for Employment courses for Adults: This programme was set up by the Literacy Unit in collaboration with the Paulo Freire Institute in Zejtun and the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) for unemployed adults wishing to acquire basic literacy skills in both Maltese and English in order to be better equipped when seeking employment.

Centre Research used for National Action Plans: Data and research produced by the Literacy Unit has been used as a primary source for the drawing up of national reports like the National Action Plan for Poverty and Social Exclusion (2004) produced by the Ministry for Family and Social Solidarity and the National Action Plan for Employment (2004) produced by the Ministry for Education, Youth and Employment and the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC).