The number of students in the nursing and physiotherapy courses has doubled while new degree courses in health and allied professions, including a course in radiology, had been introduced during this legislature.
The government always underlined that the human resource is the best resource Malta has
Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the Education (Amendment) Bill, Health Minister Joseph Cassar told Parliament that academic top-up programmes which started two years ago led to health and allied workers to enhance their diplomas and graduate in their profession.
Mcast had offered healthcare courses from certificate to degree level. New systems had been introduced during the last few years. Courses in pre-hospital care and in podiatry were being developed.
Dr Cassar said that while the opposition criticised the government for shortage of beds at Mater Dei Hospital advocating the use of St Luke’s Hospital, it said nothing about the need to have enough professionals according to the needs. It was important, he said, that professionals worked as a team and respected each other.
The key to education in the future was to be found in distance and online learning. Research was the foundation for better achievements in higher education. Four other government members also contributed to the debate.
Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said the Bill was another step in the right direction, representing the government’s efforts in education on which depended the creation of jobs.
The Bill was also acknowledging and encouraging the concept of life-long learning. The amendments were a reflection of developments occurring both nationally and at European level.
Mr Galea criticized the opposition for first stating it was in favour of the Bill and then changed its mind in a relatively short time. This showed PL was not acting in the common good.
The government had always underlined that the human resource was the best resource Malta had. It was therefore a conscious choice to institute the better part of investments in health care and education.
Mr Galea said that today’s schools were no longer a place of oppression like they used to be when the PL was in government. The University was better off now and currently 11,000 students enjoyed increased courses. Thirteen students had recently obtained a PhD from the University of Malta.
Turning to the health care system, Mr Galea said that between 1989 and 2011 there were 42 professional nurses who graduated from a Masters course, 481 students who obtained a Bachelors degree and another 694 who graduated with a diploma in nursing. Similarly, there were another 100 nurses who specialised in mental health care.
Mr Galea said this influx of students in health care together with the increased aid in the community, such as the crises intervention team service for mental health patients living in the community, meant a huge investment in health care which all took place under the current government. Psychiatrists were also offering services in the community which meant people with health problems no longer needed to be institutionalised to get the attention needed, he said.
Francis Agius said the Bill would better regulate the educational sector. In presenting it, the government has shown its belief that education was an important issue. Dr Agius praised previous governments, which had given priority to education. He admitted that there was still a lot to be done as Malta needed more skilled people and those who carried research.
Educational opportunities were vital yet many people found obstacles through institutions and unnecessary bureaucracy.
The Bill might be a victim of the tension in the country and in the House: this should not be the case because the country deserved to have a good level of education.
He hoped the National Commission for Further and Higher Education would have the necessary strength to promote high quality education.
Dr Agius augured that the opposition’s input would result in a vote in favour of the Bill since it would benefit Maltese people.
Francis Zammit Dimech said that the government gave the educational sector priority as it was crucial for people and economic development.
This was not the case with respect to the opposition, which had dismantled Mcast, required students to work at least for six months if they wanted some kind of compensation and told students that their stipends would be converted into loans.
It was clear that the PL did not have an alternative policy on education. Ċensu Galea spoke on the importance of education from early childhood for one to succeed in life. The government invested in education and took measures giving opportunity to everyone to move forward. More than 3,000 students were graduating from University every year.
He said that teachers also had to be prepared to face the reality of having students of different nationalities in such areas as St Paul’s Bay and Marsascala.