The education authorities are considering applications to open digital tertiary institutions in Malta offering online degrees and other higher education courses, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said.

During the launch of a new ‘Referencing Report’ on the educational system in Malta by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, Minister Bartolo said that so far the government was being cautious on this new development but acknowledged that this might be the way forward in a global educational world. Mr Bartolo said that, while the country was right to addressed its financial deficit, more work was needed to address the educational deficit the country is still facing.

He said steps are being taken in the right direction, particularly through the introduction of apprenticeship schemes which attracted some 800 recruits.

Mr Bartolo also referred to another new phenomenon effecting the Maltese education system: 2,800 foreign students in kindergarten and primary level.

“This is a challenge but a very important development as our young students are being exposed to new cultures from a very young age,” he said.

The new reference report, in its fourth edition, is used nationally by education providers, learners and employers to measure the level of education given in Malta.

The new update takes into consideration the various changes that took place within the Maltese educational sphere over the past two years.

The Malta Qualifications Framework has now been updated with the insertion of two new levels covering learning gained but not yet rated at Level 1, and learning that serves as a stepping stone towards Level 1.