In 2011 there were 69,297 foreign students who attended courses at local English-language specialised schools, a drop of 4.7 per cent when compared to the previous year.

According to records provided by the Ministry of Education and Employment, there were 38 schools operating in the business of English-language teaching during 2011. These schools provided educational services for 69,297 students.

Both male and female participation decreased over the previous year, with females accounting for 58.2 per cent of the total student population. The largest share of students fell within the 13-17 year old age group, at 27,197, or 39.2 per cent of the total. Children below 13 were in the minority, numbering 2,741 (4.0 per cent).

Students from Italy accounted for 17.8 per cent of the total. Students from Germany, the Russian Federation, France and Spain came next with shares of 17.1, 11.9, 11.7 and 10.2 per cent respectively. Italy, Germany and Spain registered drops when compared to the previous year, while the Russian Federation and France registered increases.

The absolute majority of students were Europeans (92.8 per cent), despite decreases when compared to 2010 levels. Declines were also registered in numbers of students coming from other continents.

Foreign students accounted for 4.9 per cent of the total tourists visiting Malta during the year under review, down from 5.5 per cent a year earlier. Female students made up 6.1 per cent of total female tourists, while males made up 3.9 per cent of total male tourists. The average length of stay of these students for 2011 was estimated at 2.6 weeks.

In 2011, teachers working in English-language specialised schools numbered 1,287. Of these, 88.3 per cent were working on a part-time basis. Female teaching personnel comprised 72.7 per cent of total teachers in these schools.

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