'No compromise' on education standards - Health Division

The Health Division said that in no way was it going to lower the standards of education to be able to fill vacancies.

In a statement on the rather high failure rate of the diploma programme nursing students, the Division said it required a good number of new graduates to be able to run its services effectively, "but this cannot be a reason to demand that the University sacrifices the quality of education for quantity, or to interfere with an autonomous institution to satisfy its demands".

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has asked for an inquiry after nearly half the students failed their final exam this year, saying this reflected badly on the course.

The division said the results of the final year nursing students were discussed at great length during a meeting of the board of the Institute of Health Care, during which a representative of the Health Division was present. 

The factors which contributed to the high failure rate were explained to the board, and it was agreed that irrespective of the urgent need to fill vacant posts within the Health Division, the institute could not shirk away from its responsibility of maintaining and safeguarding academic and professional standards. 

The division noted that the final year results obtained by the students registered in the diploma course contrasted greatly with those obtained by those registered in the degree course.  

"The Health Division has the general health of the public as its foremost objective, and is in no way going to compromise this vision by interfering or lowering the standards of education to be able to satisfy the filling of vacancies."