Co-ordinated teacher education : the preparation of teachers for primary and secondary schools in Malta

Abstract

In a complex endeavour like Education, nothing happens in isolation so that a decision intended tor one particular sector will eventually and inevitably have repercussions on others. Teacher education which has to be well attuned to the educational system it serves, cannot evade the process; even more so in a small country like Malta. The post-war rapid expansion of primary education and the accompanying demand for qualified teachers led to determined advances in teacher education. When, however, the demands and needs shifted to secondary education, the colleges were slow to adapt accordingly; hence the 1971 re-organization in teacher education and the present co-ordinated programmes. This study gives some attention to the causes for the re-organization of teacher education since these are closely related to the policies, programme structures and course content of the present system. The policies were clearly defined at the time of re-organization. The programmes' structure and course content have been evolving to meet the changing needs of the educational system in the spirit of guarded experimentation that characterises the new institution. In the process of defining, describing and analysing the aims and approaches of the co-ordinated programmes, this study has attempted also to put forward a clear and comprehensive philosophy for the Department of Educational Studies.