On 19 February 2025, the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR), in collaboration with the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, celebrated ten years of Ethics education in Maltese schools. This milestone marked a decade of fostering ethical thinking and values in the national education system and highlighted the strong partnership between the two institutions in shaping Ethics as a subject.
The celebration was livestreamed on the Edukazzjoni Facebook page, allowing educators, students, and the public to follow the event .
Prof. Alfred J. Vella, Rector of the University of Malta, opened the ceremony, emphasising Ethics’ fundamental role in education, citizenship, and professional life. Dr Lucianne Zammit, Ethics Coordinator and lecturer within the Department of Education Studies, then provided an overview of the evolution of Ethics education in Malta, presenting key milestones and available training pathways for educators. She also highlighted the close collaboration between MEYR and the Faculty of Education, which has resulted in the successful implementation of Ethics in Maltese schools.
Prof. Colin Calleja, Dean of the Faculty of Education, reinforced the Faculty’s commitment to developing the Ethics curriculum and training teachers in ethical reasoning. Ms Lucienne Calleja, Director of Educational Resources at MEYR, discussed the deployment of Ethics teachers, ensuring trained professionals support the subject’s growing demand.
Further contributions came from Mr Roger Tirazona and Ms Kirby Caruana, Ethics Heads of Department at MEYR and casual lecturers in Ethics at the Faculty of Education. Ms Caruana highlighted the updates to the Ethics syllabi, including new Year 7 and Year 8 programs on digital citizenship and responsible AI use, along with revisions to the primary syllabus. She also noted Malta’s international recognition, with this work showcased at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week 2024, reaffirming the nation’s commitment to responsible digital citizenship. Mr Tirazona highlighted the ethics department’s strong support for Ethics teachers through training and high-quality resources, ensuring excellence and better student outcomes. He shared how hands-on learning in the MICC Projects deepens students’ understanding of justice and human rights and discussed the Connecting Classrooms initiative in Ethiopia, integrating global perspectives via UNODC's GRACE Initiative. He also recounted showcasing Ethics in Ethiopia at an African Union briefing and Kotebe University of Education, where discussions on ethical governance drive sustainable development.
Ms Sandra Ebejer, Director for Early Years, Languages, and Humanities at MEYR, closed the ceremony by stressing Ethics education’s role in the National Education Strategy, promoting values-based education. The event was a tribute to a decade of progress and reaffirmed a commitment to strengthening Ethics education in the years ahead.
