Working group set up to review secondary education

The Minister for Education, Dr John Cortes, has created a working group within the Department of Education to review the current secondary education system.

The working group is made up of the Director of Education and members of the Education Advisory Service and senior teachers from the three secondary institutions namely Westside, Bayside and the Gibraltar College.

The Group met for the first time this week to set its aims. It will look at how the current system, which is that used in England primarily with GCSEs and A levels as the standards to be attained, and consider whether it works for all and whether it needs to be changed in any way.

“This could be a difference to the way subjects are taught and assessed, ranging to a complete change in the structure, always as long as qualifications attained are acceptable at United Kingdom Universities. It will also consider whether there is no need to make any changes,” said a statement from the Government.

The Group will research and consult widely and is expected to report back by December this year.

The Government will then consider if and how any changes can be implemented for the 2025/26 Academic Year.

“I have led the Revolution in Education since 2016, where we have rebuilt or renewed most of our school buildings, realigned school years and introduced co-education, among other things,” said Dr Cortes.

“It is now time to look at the fundamentals and see whether we have to make more deep rooted changes, always looking at what is best for the students.”

“We have excellent professionals who I am calling upon to use their experience to look closely at what we do in secondaries and propose any changes or none. It is a really exciting project which will set the scene for our young people’s Education for decades to come.”