Malta’s example: building resilience in education through dialogue and support
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On 22–23 January 2025, ETUCE and EFEE visited Malta as part of the APRES COVID project to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on the well-being of teachers and other education personnel. This visit marked the third and final national case study under the initiative “Addressing Psychosocial Risks for an Equitable and Sustainable Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.”
During the two-day visit, participants engaged in fieldwork at the University of Malta and Margaret Mortimer Secondary School in Santa Lucia. The delegation met with teachers, support staff, school leaders, researchers, and national social partners to gather firsthand insights on the psychosocial challenges faced by education staff in the aftermath of COVID-19.
Through interviews and discussions, we explored how increased digitalisation, blurred work-life boundaries, and shifting student needs have reshaped the education profession. While Malta offers robust institutional support, the visit revealed ongoing concerns—such as teacher workload, mental health, and the need for structured support systems in both secondary and higher education.
Our video captures powerful testimonies from Maltese teachers and education personnel, offering a human perspective on these systemic challenges and the value of strong social dialogue in addressing them. It also highlights the innovative practices Malta has implemented, such as the 2023–2027 sectoral agreement negotiated by the Malta Union of Teachers and the Ministry of Education, which covers 11,000 staff members across the sector.
The visit to Malta underscores how dialogue, trust, and investment in well-being can foster more resilient education systems. As we continue our work on shaping a European framework for psychosocial risk prevention and the right to disconnect, these insights are more important than ever.
Watch the video below to hear directly from teachers and education staff in Malta.
Read the full report of the project here : REPORT