Who we are

This Charter

How to contact us

Opening Hours

Our service standards

Our services

How you can help us

If you are not satisfied with our service

Learning from you

At the Department of Operations within the Education Division our aim is to ensure standards of quality in state schools. We are responsible for:

• the supervision of State primary and secondary schools in Malta and Gozo with the exception of special education schools
• ensuring the delivery of policies through communication and clarification
• ensuring the development of professional staff in these schools
• ensuring the quality of schools
• establishing and working with school councils
• recommending policy and/or administrative/programme matters for state schools
• facilitating better communication between schools, the Education Division, the Ministry of Education, the school communities and parents.

This charter outlines the services we provide and the standards of service we aim to achieve and which you can expect from us. Through this charter we are committing ourselves to provide you with a quality service according to the guiding principles of the National Curriculum and of the National Minimum Conditions as outlined in the Education Act.

The Head Office of the Department of Operations is situated in Floriana with an office in Victoria Gozo. Malta and Gozo are divided into four Regions with each of these Regions falling under the responsibility of an Assistant Director. Another Assistant Director is responsible for Inclusive Education which also forms part of the Department of Operations.

The Head Office in Malta may be contacted by:

• going personally or writing to the:

The Director

Department of Operations

Education Division

Floriana CMR 02

• phoning on
• faxing on
• sending an e-mail to
• accessing our websie at http://www.education.gov.mt

You can contact the Region office under which your particular school is listed (please see attached information sheet).

Region 1

You may contact this office by:

• going personally or writing to the:

Assitant Director

Region 1

Education Division

Victoria

Gozo

• phoning on 21 556606/21 558830
• faxing on 21 558037
• sending an e-mail on operations.moed@gov.mt

You may contact this office by:

• going personally or writing to the:

Assistant Director

Region 2

Education Division

Floriana

• phoning on 21 226518/25982470/1
• faxing on 21 251189
• sending an email on operations.moed@gov.mt

• Region 3

You may contact this office by:

• going personally or writing to the:

Assistant Director

Region 3

Education Division

Floriana

• phoning on 21 238827/25982326/7/2473
• faxing on 21 232130
• sending an email on operations.moed@gov.mt

You may contact this office by:

• going personally or writing to the:

Assistant Director

Region 4

Education Division

Floriana

• phoning on 21 232341/25982468/72
• faxing on 21 232341
• sending an email on operations.moed@gov.mt

You may contact this office by:

• going personally or writing to the:

Assistant Director

Inclusive Education

Education Division

Floriana

• phoning on 21 249867/25982346/2477
• faxing on 21 245197
• sending an email on operations.moed@gov.mt

We are open from Monday to Friday during the following hours:

• Winter (1^st October to 15^th June)

• 8.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

  1.30 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

• Summer (16^th June to 30^th September)

8.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.

Whenever you contact us we will:

• treat you with courtesy and respect
• maintain full confidentiality on all your information.

When you visit our office we will:

• be quick, courteous and helpful at all times
• welcome you in a clean and friendly environment.

When you phone us you can expect us to:

• answer promptly
• identify ourselves and our position.

When you write to us you can expect us, to:

• acknowledge your correspondence within 1 working day of receipt
• send you an initial reply within 5 working days of receipt
• send you a final reply to more complex correspondence within 10 working days of initial reply.

When you send us an e-mail, you can expect us to:

• send you an immediate acknowledgement
• send you an initial reply within 2 working days of acknowledgement
• send you a final reply to more complex correspondence within 5 working days of initial reply.

In providing information we will:

• give you the most accurate, up-to-date information available to us.

We are aware of the importance that you know your rights well when your child is starting school. This is why we will do our best to:

• receive and process all applications for admission to Secondary Schools
• receive and process all applications for special requests for admission to Kindergartens and Primary Schools
• give clear information about the admission procedure for all schools
• ensure that you are informed when to register your children in Kindergarten through your local council
• give general information about Kindergartens, Primary and Secondary Schools
• provide a place in state schools for all children from 3 years old upwards.

It is necessary for you as parents and people with parental responsibilities to be informed about certain duties and obligations from your end. Thus, we will:

• make sure that the Head of School where your child will attend, informs you on the allocation of Secondary School places. You will receive this information at least 4 weeks before school starts
• receive and process all applications submitted by foreign students.

The Department of Operations is also responsible for two post-secondary schools which are the; Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School at Naxxar and Mikelang Refalo Centre for Further Studies at Victoria Gozo. In these schools:

• we will provide continuous opportunities by maintaining the highest level of education for the courses available.

Entry requirements are found in the Prospectus issued yearly by the Education Division and sent by post to all students finishing secondary education.

We will provide the necessary guidelines and advice for students with disabilities and as such we will:

• inform you how the school provides for special educational needs as outlined in reports by the Statementing and Moderating Panel
• provide information and advice about this assessment and how you can get involved.
• help to maximise the educational opportunities and entitlements for students with disabilities, enabling them to develop their abilities as fully as possible

It is necessary that our schools are staffed with the appropriate human resources and as such we ensure that:

• the schools are headed with a trained and competent management team
• that pupils have the adequate teaching staff
• that every school draws up annually a school development plan after having gone through an internal audit process
• that each school has a school council and that this is working according to established regulations.

We strive to encourage and motivate children with disabilities by:

• allocating shared or full-time facilitators, for children with disabilities according to their needs. We base our decisions on the reports issued by the Statementing and Moderating Panel.

You can help us deliver a better quality in service by:

• being courteous and co-operative with all our staff
• providing us with accurate and up-to-date information when filling in application forms
• providing us with all the relevant information or documents when they are requested
• contacting the appropriate office responsible for your area.

Your complete satisfaction is essential to us. We look into all complaints as they help us improve our service.

• We aim to give a full reply to all letters within 5 working days of receiving them. If the issue to be dealt with is of a delicate nature and might require more than 15 days for an answer, we will let you know
• If you have a complaint about a school, you should always approach the Head first. The Head of School and Assistant Heads of School are responsible for the day-to-day running of the school.

If you need to complain about any aspect of our service, please contact the person seeing to your needs. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may lodge a formal complaint. You can do this by writing to:

The Director

Department of Operations

Education Division

Floriana CMR 02

October 2002

All information is correct at time of going to print. Information is continuously updated on the Charter Support Unit website and on the Ministry of Education website.

Published by the Charter Support Unit, OPM

http://www.servicecharters.gov.mt

Printed at the Government Press