In July, hundreds of Year 11 students, their parents and their teachers converge on one of Malta’s most anticipated educational events: iChoose. Organised by the Ministry for Education and Sport, the event is designed to help young people navigate the crossroads after secondary school, offering a single venue where institutions, authorities and training providers can present the full spectrum of study options available on the islands.
For an authority like the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), whose remit touches every learner’s journey from MQF level 1 to MQF level 8, an event of this scale is the perfect opportunity to show its expertise and provide useful information and guidance.
The role of MFHEA
MFHEA’s presence at the event was twofold this year: an information stand where the public could speak directly to the team, and a dedicated presentation delivered by Dr Jana Kazarjan, Senior Manager of the Research & Policy Department, about the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF), one of the most fundamental building blocks of the Maltese education system.
Throughout the day, students, parents, educators, and the general public visited the stand to inquire about accredited institutions, licensed programmes, and how to select a course that would be valuable after earning the certificate. Events like this promote direct, personal interaction, which is why MFHEA emphasizes participation. Being present and engaging face-to-face with individuals making important, life-changing choices allows the authority to foster more meaningful interactions and provide more personalized, detailed responses.
Understanding the MQF: The Presentation in Focus
Dr Kazarjan’s presentation addressed a question at the heart of every choice a student makes after secondary school: what is the MQF, and how does it support the learning pathways each student follows?
The Malta Qualifications Framework, or MQF, established in 2007, is the national system that classifies every qualification issued in Malta according to eight levels.
Each level is defined by what learners achieve, rather than by the course title or institution. It focuses on what they know, understand, and can do by the end of the programme, assessed across three key areas: knowledge, skills, and competence.
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To put the levels in everyday terms, the presentation walked attendees through a simple map:
- MQF Level 1 is the Introductory Certificate and VET Level 1
- MQF Level 2 includes the Foundation Certificate and is a further step in education
- MQF Level 3 corresponds to the Secondary Education Certificate, the foundation most students already hold.
- MQF Level 4 covers Matriculation Certificates, A-Levels and Advanced Diplomas, the typical gateway into university.
- MQF Level 5 includes Higher National Diplomas, a strong stepping stone into either employment or further study.
- MQF Level 6 is the Bachelor’s degree, the benchmark most professional careers are built on.
- MQF Level 7 covers Master’s degrees and MBAs,
- MQF Level 8 sits at doctoral level, including PhD
Importantly, the framework established a credit system supporting qualifications, whereby one credit represents 25 hours of total learning time. This approach supports comparability with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). This detail goes beyond mere administration; it enables a diploma from Malta to be recognised, compared, and trusted by employers and/or institutions across Europe, as the MQF is aligned to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).
The presentation also highlighted a point that resonates strongly with an audience of parents and students weighing vocational versus academic routes: the MQF exists to promote parity of esteem across all learning pathways, whether academic, vocational or professional, and to value learning gained outside the classroom through recognition of prior learning. For a Year 11 student choosing between an apprenticeship, a diploma, or the traditional sixth-form route, that message carries real weight: each recognised pathway has a clear place within the qualification’s framework, offering a valid route towards further learning, skills development, or employment.
Finally, the session addressed the practical question every prospective student cares about: how do you check that a course is legitimate? The answer, reinforced throughout the talk, is that any qualification worth its salt in Malta should be accredited against the MQF, with MFHEA acting as the competent authority responsible for that recognition. Attendees were encouraged to ask three simple questions before enrolling anywhere: is the programme accredited by MFHEA, what MQF and EQF level does it sit at, and how many ECTS credits does it carry.
Clarity as a Public Service
One of the most notable aspects of the session was its emphasis on clarity and accessibility, particularly in explaining terminology and acronyms rather than assuming prior knowledge. Although qualifications frameworks may initially seem like a technical area of education policy, they have important implications for individuals, particularly in shaping young people’s educational and career opportunities. By presenting the MQF in language accessible to young people and their parents, the session effectively translated a complex regulatory framework into a practical resource for informed educational and career decision-making. Ultimately, events like this are crucial for MFHEA because frameworks only have meaning when they effectively reach their intended audience. Malta’s qualifications system is designed to be trusted due to its transparency, which depends on someone taking the time to explain it directly to the people who need to hear it most, in person.
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