November
2000
Update: Malta
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Update: Malta |
Total Number of 'Population' |
Total Number of Websites |
% of website/total number of 'population' |
|
| Primary and Secondary Schools | 285 |
13 |
4.5 |
| High Schools and Universities | 17 |
4 |
4.25 |
| National Ministries | 14 |
5 |
35 |
| Regional and local authorities | 67 |
14 |
21 |
| Hospitals/clinics | 10 |
3 |
20 |
| Museums | 19 |
4 |
21 |
| Libraries | 85 |
2 |
2.3 |
Sources:
Commentary:
One should keep in mind the size of the Malta when analyzing the figures. Malta has a population of 370,000 living on an area of 420 square km, making it one of the densest populations in the world.
Many of the websites of primary and secondary are the initiative of individual schools and not a concerted effort by the Ministry of Education. Internet access in public schools for the time being is available only in schools that took the initiative. The project to introduce access in all public schools, which had to be launched in October 1998, has been postponed with no alternative date given.
The website of the University of Malta (http://www.um.edu.mt) was one of the pioneering websites in Malta and remains the best website of an educational establishment in Malta.
The website of the Malta Government Network (MAGNET) provides information about all the government ministries and departments, but two ministries in particular (Foreign Affairs and Finance) have their own website outside MAGNET. Some departments, like the Environmental Protection Department have chosen to set their own website outside MAGNET.
The only website of a museum is actually on MAGNET's domain name, but it has a distinctive character and can be held as separate.
Several Local Councils took the initiative to have their own website. It is envisaged that with the networking of all 67 Local Councils into a digital value-added network, which began to be implemented in 4th Quarter 1999, each Council will have an automatic on-line presence in the form of a website.
Recent Developments
Summer is the silly season for education and the government in Malta, with schools closed for the summer holidays and Parliament in its summer recess.
The project for the introduction of Internet access in public school has not been launched yet despite public announcements made in April 2000. However reports in the local media say that the pilot project should be launched in October with the new scholastic year. The work to upgrade the IT infrastructure in the first batch of schools has begun. Thirty public schools at primary and secondary level have been chosen to participate in the pilot. Another 50 will be connected by the end of 2001.
The Malta Government Website continued with the development of more individual websites of the Ministries. The websites for the Ministry for Social Policy, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health have been launched or the previous information on the Malta Government Website revamped and re-launched as a website.
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