The opposition’s main spokesman Evarist Bartolo said yesterday he suspected that the reason why Malta’s second medical school did not open was because of personal pique.
He said that last October Health Minister Joseph Cassar had said he was still waiting for a reply from St George’s Medical School since then, nothing has been said.
Earlier, Mr Bartolo criticised the fact that Malta had lost out to Slovenia for housing the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) – an international network of 179 universities from 38 countries which approves the quality of higher education through the implementation of postgraduate studies and research programmes with a special focus on cultural diversity.
Speaking on the Education (amendment) Bill, Mr Bartolo said the Bill left a void in certain educational aspects. It should provide a definition for the word “university” and the way this institution was licensed to operate. He said it was unacceptable that ITS students with different qualifications in a subject were being mixed in the same class. This was causing great confusion and a number of students opted to resign.
It was important to keep track of post-secondary students and register the number who stay on and those who dropped out. Mr Bartolo said Mcast was giving the wrong message to students through its requirement that all students pass exams. At 9 p.m., Mr Speaker asked Mr Bartolo whether he would remain in session. The Labour spokesman replied in the affirmative, adding “...after 2013!”.
Earlier, Owen Bonnici, opposition spokesman for higher education said that although this was an important debate, he felt that it was surreal that it was being discussed when the people were questioning the forward in the current political situation.
The opposition was in agreement with the points presented in the Bill. However, he questioned what had happened to the Higher Education Bill which the government had to present. It seemed that the Education (Amendmen) Bill had substituted this.
The Vision 2015 report showed that although the rate of post-secondary education students had increased, Malta lacked behind when compared to the EU average. In 2000, the number of 15-24-year-olds registered in an educational system amounted to 37.1 per cent. This figure increased to 44.5 per cent in 2007. The EU average in 2007 was of 59.6 per cent.
There needed to be synergy between different educational institutions and it was important to promote equal opportunities for all to succeed. He was disappointed to learn that the Junior College had struck out two classes of Biology since fewer students had applied for this subject. More students should be encouraged to take up sciences, he concluded.