Directorate for

Lifelong Learning Adult Basic Skills Provision

Mario Cardona

Education Officer

(Lifelong Learning)

Mario.cardona@ilearn.edu.mt

Selection and CPD Selection of staff is through a public call and a rigorous

interview. Professional teachers are recruited for the job with at least an MQF level 6 qualification

A coordinator for Basic Skills (Literacy and Numeracy) and a coordinator for ICT take care of courses logistics and courses development

Staff are offered Continuous Professional Development through pre-service and in-service training sessions. Plans are in hand for the validation of these courses

Coordinators also perform class visits to offer support to staff throughout the course

Quality Assurance

A common framework is adopted by all adult educators in numeracy and literacy and in computer awareness

A coordinator for Quality Assurance supports the overall process by paying visits to classes, and by helping coordinators to develop mechanisms for the provision of feedback to adult educators

Feedback to adult learners Learners are provided continuous feedback through the

use of a checklist whereby the adult educator assesses the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competence along the course

A portfolio is compiled by learners along the course where they keep evidence of the Learning outcomes reached

A standardised end-of-course formal assessment is carried out to certify whether the learner has acquired the necessary level

A second assessor reviews the marked assessment papers for the sake of consistency and transparency.

Validation

Basic skills (Literacy & Numeracy) courses and Computer Awareness have been level rated at MQF level 1

A process for the validation of level 2 Basic Skills courses is currently in process

Strategic Partners

The Directorate provides basic skills courses in its Adult Education Centres, seven in Malta and one in Gozo

It has established a working relationship with the Department of Local Government to provide Basic Skills courses in Local Councils through a special funding scheme

Other community based courses are provided in conjunction with ACCESS community centres, with the Paulo Freire Institute and SVDP Residence

Basic Skills courses and Computer Awareness courses are provided in conjunction with the National Council of Women and FITA

The Directorate supports NGOs working with disadvantaged groups in the provision of Basic Skills and Computer Awareness courses such as Caritas and St Jeanne Antide Foundation

Employers

The Directorate has cooperated with the Armed Forces of Malta to conduct a wide ranging up-skilling exercise by providing Basic Skills courses for army recruits in various centres in Malta and Gozo

This service can be provided to other employers who may be interested in the skilling, re-skilling or up-skilling of their workforce

Learners who sat for the formal assessment in basic skills at MQF level 1

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2011 2012

Numeracy

English

Maltese

Computer Awareness Courses carried out in 2011-2012

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

learners

attended course

sat successfully for finalassessment

Other courses The Directorate offers a number of MQF 1 courses in

a number of languages with the aim of enabling adults take up the learning of foreign languages starting off from a very basic level.

We are currently in the process of validating level 2 courses in the various languages.

The same applies for a variety of craft courses with the aim of provided accreditation to learners who learn either a foreign language or a craft.

The Directorate also organises a number of family learning courses where parents are educated in knowledge, skills and competences related to their children’s education – complement the basic skills.

Its never too late to learn!Qatt mhu tard biex titgħallem!

Thankyou!Grazzi!