MATSEC IM Systems of Knowledge case studies
MATSEC IM Systems of Knowledge · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Systems of Knowledge is a compulsory intermediate-level subject in Malta's MATSEC framework, typically taken by students in their first year of post-secondary education. It is not a single-discipline course: it draws on philosophy, politics, science, art, and social studies to help students think critically about knowledge, values, and society. The MATSEC IM Systems of Knowledge case studies are 5 cases and about 3,049 words.
1The Garden, the Grant and the Undeclared Interest
The Ħal Kirkop local council has six weeks left to spend an €80,000 EU regeneration grant. The mayor proposes converting a 300 m² public garden beside the primary school into 18 marked parking spaces, arguing that parents’ cars block ambulances during school hours.
681 words, about 3 min2Brand Neutrality or Religious Exclusion?
A family-run four-star hotel in St Julian’s employs 34 staff. In January it introduces a ‘brand neutrality’ grooming policy: no visible religious symbols, no beards, and no head coverings for any staff who ‘may be seen by guests’.
629 words, about 3 min3The Balcony Sensor and the Asthma Claim
A sixth-form student in Msida wants to prove that traffic pollution is causing asthma among students at her school. She mounts a €120 low-cost PM2.5 sensor on her balcony, 2.5 m above ground and 15 m from a busy road.
570 words, about 3 min4Desalination, Seagrass and the Hotel Extension
A 120-room hotel in Mellieħa applies to add 40 rooms and a spa. The extension would increase the hotel’s water demand by about 18,000 m³ a year in a locality where public supply is already under summer pressure.
573 words, about 3 min5The Mural on the Social Housing Block
The Valletta local council commissions a 12 m by 8 m mural on the end wall of a social housing block. The €15,000 contract says the artist has creative freedom but the final design needs council approval; it says nothing about resident consent.
596 words, about 3 min