University rector proposes college for liberal arts and sciences

University rector Juanito Camilleri has proposed the reformation of the Junior College into a college for liberal arts and sciences.

Speaking this morning during a conference held to launch the strategy for further and higher education 2020, prepared by the National Commission for Higher Education, Prof. Camilleri said that he got worried whenever he visited the Junior College.

Like at university, space was a problem and a great number of students were found in the bars surrounding the college, turning the area into a sort of ghetto.

“They are not adults and they are impressionable so we must harness them to take life with more value,” he said adding that he knew that the head of the college was working hard at this but there were space problems and issues with facilities.

Prof. Camilleri said it was time to take another look at Matsec with a critical eye. He felt that the syllabus was pushing students too much at this level.

“It has become larger than life. Is it truly achieving what we need or a way of controlling access to university.”

He pointed out that it focused too much on memory work and that was not a reflection on who was a good student.

Prof. Camilleri said that a serious modernisation of facilities was needed at university.

“If we are to attract foreign students, we need to modernise the library, sports facilities and the canteen. There needs to be a master plan to support new styles of learning, such as distance learning,” he said.

He stressed that he could never emphasise enough that without a good library and information systems one would never achieve excellence.

“It is not acceptable that we have a fragmented library and we should be thinking in terms of a national one.”

He proposed an online system where people could see where the books were. Since the books were very expensive, there could even be a membership fee.

The strategy report, Prof. Camilleri said, was a crystallisation of the state of higher education.

He stressed the importance of career guidance teachers who should be given professional development to be in tune with ongoing changes. He also suggested the importance of their feedback as to why children were losing out.

On science and technology, Prof. Camilleri said he did not believe the country was utilising well the few experts in the field and many ended up taking management roles.

The collective agreement reached recently with academic staff, he said, provided the needed framework but funds were needed to work on issues of national importance, such as water.

Malta Union of Teachers president John Bencini said he did not believe that the strategy's target of having 85 per cent of students continuing with post graduate education by 2010 would be reached. There were various problems, he said, including absenteeism.

Mr Bencini said that social problems also had to be addressed. The European Union said there should be an educational psychologist for every 4,000 students. Malta should have 20 educational psychologists but it had three.

All participants in the conference stressed the importance of funding pointing out that without this and investment in people, excellence could not be achieved.

The strategy report outlines ways of reaching the government’s vision for 2020.

Its four strategic objectives are to attract more young people to higher education; ensure fair and open access towards students willing to access their studies; make Malta a centre of excellence in education and research; and sustain public responsibility for adequate regulation, resources and funding to a secure and inclusive, qualitative and responsive education system.

The full report can be read online at www.nche.gov.mt.