Page 38 - StudyTravel Magazine July/August 2021 Issue

foCus on

mAltA

Education providers across Malta
experienced a tough year in 2020, with
decreased enrolments resulting from the
Covid-19 pandemic. Joshua Walton learns
how schools hope to return to face-to-
face teaching this summer.

lAnguAge

altese schools have faced says Fernando Aguilar at EC Malta
temporary closures and had www.ecenglish.com in St Julian’s.
Mto pivot to alter their busi- However, at the time of writing, he
ness model or off er distance learn- added that the school had the high-
ing options since the outbreak of est number of students compared to
Covid-19, and at the time of writing other EC schools worldwide.
schools are waiting to reopen for At ETI Executive Training Institute
face-to-face lessons from June 1st, www.etimalta.com in St Julian’s,
following the latest lockdown. Franco Debono says enrolments in
Ashley Kind at Maltalingua School of 2020 were about 50-to-60 per cent
English www.maltalingua.com in the less than the school’s pre-pandemic
seaside town of St Julian’s, says, “As numbers in 2019.
like everyone in the industry we were Lisa James at EC Young Learners
seriously aff ected during 2020 due http://www.embassysummer.com/
to the pandemic, however, Malta has locations/malta/malta-hotel-or- Photo: Video Artur Bogacki / Shutterstock.com
been a relatively pleasant place to be homestay in St Julian’s, says, “We
throughout the pandemic. With much did operate a small summer school
less restrictions imposed throughout programme in 2020 in Malta, the only
2020 and 2021, especially compared to location in our global YL portfolio that
our neighbours in Europe and around we were able to open. This year, we
the world, Malta has taken action expect our summer operation to be
well when needed, and the tourism close to 50 per cent of its usual num-
authority are currently and actively bers, higher than our other locations.
promoting Malta as a destination to This is due to the perceived safety,
visit this summer and beyond.” but also the fact that Malta is off ering
“Like all EFL schools in the industry, quarantine-free travel.”
the number of enrolments decreased Lisa notes that she expects
signifi cantly due to the pandemic,” the school to recover next year

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