Malta is often perceived as a lifestyle destination. How do you respond to the idea that students come more for the experience than for serious study?
This is a perception we are very aware of, and in many ways it is understandable. Malta is an attractive destination, and that is part of its strength. But what is often overlooked is what sits behind that appeal.
Malta is not just a place where English is taught. It is one of the very few countries in the world where English language teaching is formally regulated by law.
That is a fundamental distinction. In many destinations, quality is driven by voluntary accreditation or market forces. In Malta, it is embedded within a national legislative and regulatory framework. We license schools, regulate teachers, set standards, and monitor the sector as part of our function within the Ministry for Education.
So while students may initially be drawn to Malta for its environment, what defines us as a destination is the consistency, structure and accountability behind the learning experience.
For those unfamiliar with the ELT Council, how would you describe your role?
We are often asked this, precisely because our model is not typical.
We are not an accreditation body, and we are not an industry association.
The ELT Council forms part of the Ministry for Education, and our role is to regulate the English language teaching sector at a national level. That means we oversee licensing, teacher permits, compliance, standards, and the overall quality of provision across the industry.
In essence, we sit across the entire sector. We are responsible not only for ensuring that schools meet the required standards, but also for safeguarding the reputation of Malta as a serious and credible ELT destination.
This level of oversight is quite rare internationally, and it allows us to approach quality not as an optional benchmark, but as a shared responsibility across the entire system.
What makes Malta’s approach to regulation different from other ELT destinations?
This year is particularly significant, as it marks 30 years since Malta enacted the world’s first national legislation regulating English language teaching – an achievement that still shapes the way quality and standards are embedded across the sector. What sets Malta apart is that regulation is not fragmented or optional. It is centralised, legal, and comprehensive.
We do not look at quality in isolation. We look at the entire student journey – from teaching and academic systems to student welfare, safeguarding, and the broader experience.
With the introduction of our new Monitoring Visits framework, we have strengthened this even further.
This is not a traditional inspection model. It is a structured, three-phase process that combines:
- pre-visit digital evidence,
- on-site academic and operational verification,
- and a formal review and reporting stage that drives improvement.
We are looking not only at whether systems exist, but whether they are working in practice, in classrooms, in management processes, and in the student experience.
It is about moving from compliance as a checklist to quality as something that is lived, observed, and continuously developed. Quality is not something we check at the end of a process; it is a culture that lives within the system, shaping every aspect of the student experience.
What was the thinking behind the new Monitoring Visits policy?
The Monitoring Visits framework is, in many ways, a reflection of how we see the future of the sector.
We wanted to move beyond a static view of quality and towards something more dynamic – something that supports schools while also holding them to clear and consistent standards.
The framework allows us to look deeply into key areas such as teaching quality, teacher development, academic administration, learner feedback, student welfare, safeguarding, and even sustainability.
It also ensures that this is not a one-off exercise. Each school is reviewed on a regular cycle, and the findings feed directly into ongoing improvement.
So the intention is twofold: to verify standards, but also to strengthen them.
It creates a level of transparency and consistency that benefits not only the regulator, but the schools, the agents, and most importantly, the students.
What message would you like to send to agents, parents and students considering Malta?
In an ever-changing world, marked by volatility, shifting educational landscapes and wider geopolitical uncertainty, assurance matters deeply.
Agents should not be expected to take risks when deciding where to send students. Parents want the peace of mind that their children will be studying in an environment that is safe, well-regulated and genuinely committed to quality. And learners themselves want more than a pleasant destination.
Yes, Malta offers sun, sea and a rich mediterranean experience, but students come here to learn English and that carries profound meaning
Yes, Malta offers sun, sea and a rich mediterranean experience, but students come here to learn English and that carries profound meaning.
English is often far more than a language. It is the key to university, to career opportunities, to confidence, to mobility, and to a different future. In that sense, students are not simply choosing a course; they are investing in possibility.
Because whenever someone chooses Malta, they are placing trust on behalf of their students and that trust should be met with the assurance that the experience is not left to chance, but supported by a system that delivers consistently.
About the author: Sue Falzon is the CEO of the ELT Council Malta, a role she has held since 2009, leading the regulation and development of the English language teaching sector nationally. With over 28 years of experience in management, she has built her career across the tourism and education sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Youth and Community Work and is a warranted psychotherapist, bringing a strong people-centred perspective to her leadership. Passionate about tourism, education and quality, her role allows her to bring these areas together in shaping and strengthening Malta’s ELT sector.
