Page 45 - IJPS-8-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Gerontology education in Malta

expectancy in Malta was around 43/46 years for men/ to ageing, older adults, and later life. A major focus
women, life expectancy for those born in 2020 had reached of the department is the role of the interdisciplinary
80.3 and 84.5 years for men and women, respectively team practice in geriatric and dementia care.
(National Statistics Office, 2021). The need for old-age care University of Malta, n.d.
and/or geriatric care in Malta, and hence, the development
of gerontology education programs, will rise considerably This article traces the development of gerontology
considering that demographic projections indicate that education in Malta in the years 1990 – 2020. This period
Malta will be one of the fastest ageing countries in the EU. witnessed an increase in the number of educational
During the 2013–2060 period, the 65-plus/80-plus cohort programs in ageing studies, and subsequently, a proliferation
will reach 28.5%/10.5% of the total population in 2060, of students graduating in gerontology, geriatrics, and
from 17.5%/3.8% in 2013 (+11.0%/+6.7%) – thus, implying dementia studies. While the subsequent section delineates
that the number of older persons requiring communicate global developments in the field of gerontology education,
services to age-in-place or residing in residential long-term the third part presents the emergence and consolidation of
care will increase in the coming three decades (European graduate programs in gerontology, geriatrics, and dementia
Commission, 2015). studies. The fourth section embeds such developments in
During the 2010s, Malta witnessed an exponential a critical commentary by highlighting the field’s successes
increase in applications from students to read for university and limitations, and the final concluding section puts
programs in gerontology, geriatrics, and dementia care. forward a range of the future recommendations for policy
Moreover, contrary to the situation in the United Kingdom action.
where “employers are also decreasingly likely to allow 2. Gerontology education in malta
employees the time off to study or to contribute toward
the fees” (Askham, Gilhooly, Parkette, et al., 2007, p. 46), University programs in gerontology are most common in the
the opposite has occurred in Malta as both the public and United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Nordic countries,
private sectors have released, and even sponsored, many and Australia. However, gerontology programs can also be
of their personnel to enroll at the University’s Department found in countries as diverse as Germany, China, Israel,
of Gerontology and Dementia Studies. Comparative data Singapore, Turkey, Guatemala, Uruguay, Venezuela, Taiwan,
on the global number of students in gerontology education South Africa, Mexico, and of course Malta. The range of
are unavailable to-date. However, Silverstein and Fitzgerald focuses, functions, and specialties of gerontology education
(2017) pointed out that “financial constraints and a variety leads to a key query: What are the mutual competencies in
of other factors have affected the number of gerontology these gerontology educational programmes? The construction
and geriatric programs available around the world” of a framework of competencies for gerontology education
and while “in some countries, the field is flourishing in is most advanced in the United States, where the Association
terms of educational programs and jobs for graduates… for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) put forward
in other programs are closing, never existed or have three categories of competencies:
become stagnant” (p. 1). In June 2022, the Department Category I competencies represent the essential
of Gerontology and Dementia Studies was offering four orientation to the field of gerontology, are foundational
distinct programs in gerontology education – namely, the and expected to be broadly represented in Associate,
Higher Diploma in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Master of Bachelors, Master’s degree, and gerontology certificate
Gerontology and Geriatrics, Master of Arts in Ageing and programs. Category II competencies are “interactional”
Dementia Studies, and Doctorate. Through such academic competencies that capture the processes of knowing
programs, the department aims at developing and and doing across the fields of gerontology and are also
deepening interdisciplinary scientific teaching, education, expected to be broadly represented in the above types of
and research in gerontology, geriatrics, and dementia, and educational programs. Category III competencies are
is part of the Faculty for Social Well-being. Indeed, the meant to capture the most relevant skills for contexts
department of employment in the variety of sectors and areas that
…puts emphasis on didactic teaching on ageing welfare gerontologists may work, including education.
policy, dementia studies, social and biological theories AGHE, 2014, p. 10
of ageing, quality of life in old age, and researching
ageing and later life. Spearheaded by the academic The Institute of Gerontology was set up in 1987 as
output of its academic staff, the department lies at the an academic institution within the University of Malta
forefront of scholarly activity and publications, as well to develop interdisciplinary teaching and research in
as European and international collaborations related gerontology and geriatrics. The main objective of the institute

Volume 8 Issue 1 (2022) 39 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1311