MINISTER EVARIST BARTOLO LAUNCHES ‘LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP’ BOOKLET - JUNIOR COLLEGE PROSPECTUS

This morning the Minister of Education and National Culture, the Hon. Evarist Bartolo, launched the Junior College prospectus, during a Press Conference, held at the Minister’s office in Floriana.

The University Junior College is about to receive its fourth intake of students in October 1998.  Preparations are in hand to provide all prospective students with information related to the Matsec Course and to entry to University Undergraduate Courses in October 2000.

Experience has made the Junior College administration aware that very often students on the threshold of Pre-University Education tend to choose subjects at Advanced or Intermediate Level without knowing what they are for, the standard required at ‘O’ / Sec. Level to embark on studying a particular subject, what the subject involves as far as lectures, tutorials, seminars or practical go, which subjects require a basic qualification and which others such as Economics, Philosophy and Sociology are new and therefore lecturers do not assume any knowledge of the subject at all when starting the course.

Over the past three years Junior College administration had students asking for a change in subject or options, months after the academic year started precisely because they lacked adequate information.  The staff are also trying to cut down on hundreds of phone calls and long queues of students behind the doors of the guidance and councelling officers, seeking help and advice.

To this extent the Junior College Administration with the help of the various subject coordinators, came out with the idea of collecting this information and publishing it in a booklet entitled:

‘LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP’

This booklet which contains a profile of all subjects offered by Matsec at Advanced and Intermediate Level seeks to answer questions such as:

What is the subject?

......./.......

Is an ‘O’ / Sec level required to study the subject at ‘A’ or ‘I’ Level and if yes what level is expected?

How may hours a week in lectures, tutorials, seminars, or practical does the subject involve?

Are there any projects to be carried out?

To which courses at University can the subject lead?

What openings can a qualification in the subject offer?

The fact that this publication incorporates the ‘Special Course requirements for Undergraduate Courses, October 2000’, makes it easier for prospective University students to check what the entry requirements for a particular course will be and so choose the Matsec programme accordingly.

This booklet will be distributed free to all prospective Junior College students during an Orientation Talk to be held on Tuesday, 18th August, 1998, at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, thanks to the full sponsorship by the Bank of Valletta.

A number of copies were presented to the Minister of Education and National Culture for distribution among guidance teachers in Junior Lyceums and other State Schools, so that some of the difficulties which students encounter at a later stage may be tackled earlier.