Updated - Adds statements by Forum of trade unions, GWU and MUT

Opposition education spokesman Evarist Bartolo this afternoon criticised a University decision to further restrict the number of students admitted to the B.Ed teachers' course.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Bartolo said that while some restrictions had already existed for certain subject-areas within the B.Ed course, these restrictions were recently extended, with the applicants only having been informed a few days ago.

It appeared, he said, that the University had taken its decision because, it said, not enough student-teacher placements in schools were available.

This issue could be solved, Mr Bartolo said, if Church schools made more places available for student-teachers. Church schools, he said, received state funding and should contribute in this area.

Private schools, too, should involve themselves.

Mr Bartolo said students applied to join the University course on July 20. On application they were told that "teaching areas with a limited amount of places will be announced as soon as possible."

Yet, Mr Bartolo said, the candidates were only told that there was no place for them last Friday and they now faced a quandary of what to do.

Labour MP Owen Bonnici said the University's decision went against its own regulations, and they should seek redress.

Mr Bartolo said he acknowledged that with falling birth rates there might, in the future be a lesser demand for teachers, but he felt that this current issue was not related to the birth rates.

UNIVERSITY EXPLANATION

in a statement, the Faculty of Education explained that teaching practice is a compulsory and highly-valued component of the B.Ed. (Hons.) and PGCE programmes. This component includes periods of training, assessment and examination of student-teachers’ ability to teach and interact with children and students in classrooms.

Every year, the Faculty invites all schools to advise it on the number of students they can accommodate for teaching practice.  For the secondary sector, schools are invited to inform the Faculty of the number of students they can take for each subject area taught at their schools.    

(c)    As per usual practice, the Faculty initiated contacts with the competent authorities in December 2010 to secure the highest number of teaching practice placements, available for the scholastic year 2011-12, as early as possible. Once schools provided the Faculty with the available placements, the University published the list. Efforts are still on-going to secure  more places.

When students submitted their University applications in July, the Admissions office informed them that the number of places which could be offered on the programme depended on the number of placements available in each   study area. Applicants were also informed that where a limited number of teaching practice placements were be available, the number of students to be accepted would have to be restricted.

The intake in PSD, Maltese, Social Studies, Business Studies, Spanish, Geography and Music was already limited in past years.

"On the basis of the number of teaching practice placements available to date and considering  the number of applications received, the following areas of study could also have a restricted intake this year: Primary Education, Computing, French, History, Maths, PE and Science," the faculty said.

It said the number of teaching practice placements depended on a variety of variables, such as the number of students/children in schools and hence the number of classes. 

"The decreasing birth rate means that there are fewer children/students in schools, fewer classes and thus fewer placements can be offered."

"The decreasing student population is in contrast with increasing applications for the university teaching courses, namely B.Ed. (Hons.) and PGCE," the faculty said.

"In the current three cohorts, 218 students are reading for a degree in primary education.  To date, the University of Malta received 213 applications (first and second preference) for the same course.  It is clear that there has been a dramatic increase in applications for the teaching profession."

The faculty said it would continue to do its utmost to identify the maximum number of student placements available.

MUT WRITES TO EDUCATION MINISTRY

The Malta Union of Teachers said it has written to the Education Ministry about the issue.

"The MUT insisted with the Ministry of Education that greater cooperation between the Faculty of Education and schools is necessary for resolution of this situation. The Union believes that through a concentrated effort, teaching practice placements may be found for these prospective students and hence their career prospects will not be jeopardized for merely logistical reasons. The Union has also recommended a restructuring of the teaching practice system," the union said.

It hoped there would be a timely resolution of this situation for the benefit of all concerned.

Separately, the GWU also called for a solution to the issue. It said the students were being unfairly treated. They should have been told about the restrictions in the course entry two years ago, and not just three weeks ago, the GWU Youths said in a statement.

FOR.U.M BACKING FOR MUT

The Forum of Maltese Unions said it fully supported the Malta Union of Teachers' call  for more cooperation between the University of Malta and all schools whether state, church or private.
"For.U.M. believes that through a concerted effort, a solution could easily be found.

The group said it hoped that gone were the days when numerus clausus
were imposed, thus impeding and restricting Maltese students who wished to further their studies at the University.

"According to University regulations, the University is bound to inform prospective students of such decisions normally two years before the decision is taken. In this case, the B.Ed course restrictions were only hinted at on July 20th, less than two months ago, the For.U.M said.

"This is most unjust and unfair to all those students who were enthusiastically waiting to commence their university years only to find out at a very late hour that their future was indeed shattered."

It hoped good sense would prevail.