Updated: Government uses SEC results for ‘political gain’: Bartolo

However, in the SEC system, unlike for University admission, one only needed a 5 grade in order to follow-post-secondary studies.

In the SEC level A exams, out of 2,689 students who sat for the Maltese exam, 86.4% obtained a positive result, while out of 2,199 students who sat for the Mathematics result, 92.8% had obtained a positive result.

Likewise, out of 2,896 students who sat for the English Language exam, 88.5% had obtained a positive result, out of 2,316 students who sat for the Physics result, 89.9% had obtained a positive result, while out of 941 students who sat for the Computer exam, 91.9% had obtained a positive result.

According to the Ministry of Education, the highest percentage of positive results in Level A was obtained in Italian with 96.1%, French with 94.7%, European Studies with 93.7%, and Mathematics and Geography with 92.8%.

There was a total of exams in 33 different subjects in two levels, level A and Level B. There was a total of 24,640 exams that took place and “positive results” were obtained in 72.6% of all exams that took place, the Ministry added.

Government uses SEC results for ‘political gain’: Bartolo

Evarist Bartolo, Labour’s main spokesperson for Education, in a statement later today accused the Government of “shamefully” using SEC results for political gain.

Education “is a serious thing and it is shameful how the Government played with figures to increase them, as if it was a Super 5 game,” Bartolo insisted.

He explained how SEC exams were “a very important part”” of the measure that was used to see where we were performing well and where we were doing badly in the education sector.

“Examiners’ comments should be used in a serious manner to examine what should be done to improve our children's education so that we can give them and our country a beautiful future,” Bartolo warned.

The results, the Opposition’s main spokesperson for Education insisted, showed that Malta had “a lot to do to ensure that more children succeed” and that the country had people equipped with the necessary skills so that the country succeeds in the 21st Century.

Bartolo insisted that in Maltese only 44% of all candidates  that passed from Paper A, which would increase to 55% if Paper B was included, while in the English exam, only 45% of candidates passed from Paper A, which would increase  to 57% if Paper B was included.

In Mathematics, only 37% of all candidates passed from Paper A, which would increase to 52% if Paper B was included,

Bartolo explained how in Computer Studies, only 865 students sat for the Paper A SEC exam of which 57% passed. However if one took into consideration all fifth form students this scholastic year, only 16% passed from Computer Studies Paper A, which would increase to 21% if Paper B was included, Bartolo insisted.