There are 20,000 students receiving a total of €24 million a year in stipends, up from the 800 students who used to receive stipend in 1999, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.
Speaking while touring a new €1.6 million extension to the Junior College in Msida, Dr Gonzi said the college currently housed 3,000 students.
The project, partially funded by European Regional Development Funds, was necessary because of the drastic increase in the number of students applying for their two-year post secondary course in the past years.
Dr Gonzi said that the number of 18 to 24 year olds who opted not to continue with their education had gone down from 54 per cent in 2001 to 34 per cent.
These figures, published by the National Statistics Office, did not take into consideration other means of studies which young people could avail themselves of.
He pointed out that there were more females applying to enter Junior College than males. These women would eventually go to university and graduate and help Malta continue to increase female participation in the labour market.
There are 20,000 students receiving a total of €24 million a year in stipends, up from the 800 students who used to receive stipend in 1999, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.
Speaking while touring a new €1.6 million extension to the Junior College in Msida, Dr Gonzi said the college currently housed 3,000 students.
The project, partially funded by European Regional Development Funds, was necessary because of the drastic increase in the number of students applying for their two-year post secondary course in the past years.
Dr Gonzi said that the number of 18 to 24 year olds who opted not to continue with their education had gone down from 54 per cent in 2001 to 34 per cent.
These figures, published by the National Statistics Office, did not take into consideration other means of studies which young people could avail themselves of.
He pointed out that there were more females applying to enter Junior College than males. These women would eventually go to university and graduate and help Malta continue to increase female participation in the labour market.