MCAST planning for big growth in student numbers

The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology will beef up its resources and expand its premises to accommodate up to 5,800 full-time students by the academic year 2008/2009, according to the college's strategic plan launched yesterday.

The plan foresees a 45 per cent growth in full-time student numbers from the present 4,000 taking courses in MCAST's nine institutes. The number of part-time students is expected to grow even further, by 60 per cent over the current 5,000.

The figures were given in a presentation yesterday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, where an indication was given about how the college's Corradino campus - its main one - could expand in order to match student population growth.

A master development brief shows how the campus could be linked by an underground passage or a footbridge crossing the busy road leading to Corradino Hill. An area close to Grand Harbour to the north of the campus could also be used so that the extended premises would touch the shoreline.

MCAST principal Frank Edwards said the college would try to generate income through, among other measures, encouraging paying foreigners to enrol.

By tapping EU funding, it would seek to become a centre of vocational excellence in the Mediterranean region providing internationally recognised qualifications.

Paul A. Attard, president of the board of governors, said the college had raised the profile of vocational education and ensured that more students had access to such education.

Education Minister Louis Galea called MCAST a success story thanks to the government's vision six years ago when a decision was taken to set it up. But it was only thanks to Malta's long educational tradition that the college could grow in such a short time.

In 2000, the student population in the now defunct state technical institutes stood at 1,200. MCAST, which replaced technical schools, started off with 1,600 students, growing to 4,000 in six years.

Its courses had evolved too and now the college, for example, was preparing technicians for the growing aviation and pharmaceutical industries.

Dr Galea said that if the college was to continue being instrumental in the country's progress, it had to give its students cross-curricular preparation besides their own specialisation, so as to have "complete human beings".

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi promised support to the college and the university, so the country would make the leap in quality needed for it to become a knowledge society.

He encouraged MCAST to reinforce partnerships and create new ones with the private sector. The government, he said, would like to see a larger choice of courses and training offered by international organisations and companies.