The PN electoral programme speaks of education as one of the seven pillars of Vision 2015 - a quality of excellence on a European level, Education Minister Dolores Cristina said on Saturday.

Speaking during the budget debate about the votes of her ministry, she said this must be developed through a holistic reform. This meant heavy investment, university education for kindergarten assistants, the building of new schools and the refurbishing of old ones, inclusive education and addressing the issue of failing students in primary schools to achieve the aim that 85 per cent continue their education after 2015.

Mrs Cristina said the investment in childcare centres would not only allow women to return to work but provide education and care to the children from an early age.

During the last legislature, the need was felt to appoint a regulator because certain centres needed guidelines on which they could develop gradually.

The most important decision taken was that these child centres be situated in state schools. Last year, 125 places were created and another 180 are planned for next year.

Two other childcare centres would open at Mcast and the Junior Lyceum. However, the government wants these centre to be financially accessible and studies are underway to see what needs to done to help women who cannot afford to send their children to private childcare centres.

It was the government's aim to see that certain private childcare facilities are upgraded to arrive at the desired standard.

By 2015, kindergarten assistants would have to have a university education. Another call for kindergarten assistants would be issued in the near future.

She referred to an EU report on the Lisbon objectives which said that nearly 60 per cent of four-year-olds in Malta were already attending kindergarten centres. She said this was a very high rate when compared with other EU countries.

The Education Minister then spoke on the reform agreement signed in 2007 with the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT). The top structure in the Education Ministry was in place with 57 professionals responsible for different sectors and for colleges. Many measures as agreed with the MUT were being addressed although no timeframes had been set.

The college reform would cost the government €4.4 million while funds were allocated for the building of a new school every year and refurbishing a number of others. She also spoke about the council for the teaching profession set up recently. Among its functions, the council issue warrants to teachers.

Minister Cristina noted that although much had been done on inclusive education and many measures from the Spiteri report had been implemented, there was still other work to be done. Many parents had asked for one-to-one support for their children when the board decides otherwise.

An Access and Communication and Technology Unit had been set up and was already giving assistance to pupils with communication problems. Another unit had been giving support to autistic pupils. The early assessment and intervention had to be strengthened while multi-disciplinary professionals needed to be engaged. Learning Support Assistants in private schools would be paid by the government, thus implementing another electoral promise.

The minister spoke of other services given to schools. Learning zones would be developed. A pilot project was under way in Cospicua where students were being supported in their behaviour and education needs.

Mrs Cristina said she was disappointed with the sensationalism surrounding the Junior Lyceum results for the Cospicua Primary. She said that although no one passed last June, the same teachers had a success rate of 40 per cent two years ago. The issue was being addressed and an action committee had been set up to tackle particular problems. Positive results are not necessarily reflected in academic results.

A consultation document on transition from primary to secondary would be launched this week with the aim of reducing stress for pupils. A working group put together under the previous ministry had for months worked on this document which also laid down recommendations regarding streaming and competitive examinations.

If Malta wants to achieve its aim that 85 per cent continue their education after 2015, the issue of pupils who fail in the primary had to be addressed. The document recommends a strategy for the teaching of basic literacy, numeracy, and digital competencies together with basic skills for entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity.

The document also looks at strategies for support in early years and the integration of methodologies.

Problems to be addressed include lack of basic reading skills and the low number of students taking up science subjects for specialisation. She said that the emphasis in the primary sector is on skills and not on content.

Minister Cristina spoke on the e-learning strategy claiming that Malta has a high ranking among EU countries.

Some of the functions of the Foundation for Education Services have been taken over by the directorate for educational services. Its main role would remain the preparation of new programmes after school hours.

Turning to tertiary education, the minister assured the opposition that by the end of the year, the University would receive the €4 million needed so that it would not end the year in the red. It would also get the vote for research and development, adding that the University would benefit from €50 million in EU funds for research and innovation.

Mcast developed rapidly in seven years and could be considered a success story. Tracking was taking place on the 15 to 20 per cent drop outs, adding that Norway had a higher rate.

Referring to ICT centres, Mrs Cristina said it was Mr Bartolo's right and duty to draw the government's attention when things were not going well. However, it was not fair of him to say that she had ignored him. On the day after schools opened, she had given instructions to look into the matter, but he did not give her time. Once the matter was under investigation, there was nothing else she could do.

Mrs Cristina thanked Charles Farrugia for accepting the post of University Ombudsman, adding that this budget had broadened his role, which now includes ITS and Mcast. It was unacceptable that students contacted the ministry, because they did not know how the process worked at the University.

Admittedly, more funds were needed for the libraries department but one had to be aware that the funds of the budget were not their only resource.

The heritage of documents in the National Archive was substantial, and the area was undergoing work and improvements. The National Archives had had their documents digitised. The Church archives had followed suit, and made these sources were available online.

The broadcasting media, which had created many jobs and opportunities, had to be of high quality, as it greatly affected people so much. But there were also many challenges, such as the change to digital broadcasting, which had already started by December 2010, analogue was to be eliminated completely. Malta was the first country to adopt dab+.

The updating of National Policy on Broadcasting had implemented many positive changes. Mr Bartolo's comment that the PBS was a government propaganda machine was unfair; it was autonomous and had a chairman and board that worked hard to maintain this autonomy.

Cultural heritage was one of Malta's assets, and they hoped to come up with an education programme to help raise awareness among children. The basic tenet has to be protecting the country's cultural heritage.

Otherwise we would be doing future generations a disservice. However, resources were limited.

She assured Dr Bonnici that the National Costume Collection was not going to be sold. An organisation had expressed interest in exhibiting the collection and the government was more than willing to work with them.

An investment of €2.5 million would not even begin to cover the necessary restoration work at St Elmo. Whoever claimed this was misinformed, the minister added.

Parliamentary Secretary Clyde Puli said the re-introduction of the secretariat for youth and sports and the amount voted in the budget, €362 million, showed the government's commitment towards this sector.

Since 2006, 118 students benefitted from scholarships which cost €1.8 million.

The Youth Specialising Study Scheme has been extended to students at Mcast and the Institute of Business Studies. The government was investing heavily to prepare young people to join the labour market by investing €40 million for the industrial sector and record funds in tourism and IT.

Mr Puli noted that the number of unemployed youth slipped by 533 and the youth employment strategy was bearing fruit.

Young people would benefit through the re-introduction of the equity sharing scheme by the Housing Authority under which 215 units are ready and another 280 are under construction. The rent law reform would alleviate problems faced by young people. More childcare facilities would allow young married women to continue working: three centres were opened this year and another two are earmarked for next year. Income tax rebates would also help.

The budget seeks to assist people with social problems. Drug abusers can undertake a 17-week programme for teenagers aged between 13 and 18. The government showed in practical terms that it wants to curb alcoholism and smoking by young people.

National doping regulations would be introduced and an Anti-Doping Unit would be set up to help sports entities hold doping tests.

This could be done following the National Sports Council's recognition from the World Anti-Doping Agency as the national anti-doping agency.

An agency to ensure that government policy takes young people into consideration is being set up. This agency would also administer a national information centre for young people, which would supply information on government services addressed to young people, opportunities offered by the private and voluntary sectors, as well as EU programme schemes.

One of its first missions would be the publication of a Youth Handbook on services geared towards young people.

There was an increase in the number of those benefitting from the EU youth programme from 210 in 2007 to 361 this year.

The government acknowledges the role of sport in society because it affects the economy through healthy citizen and the promotion of sports tourism. Sedentary life is on the rise. Although participation in sports has gone up this was not enough. Official statistics show that 33 per cent only are members of some sport entity and 30 per cent of children under 11 years of age are obese.

The government was determined to spread the sports network from children to youth to adults and on to pensioners.

He announced a pilot project to introduce more physical exercise: the three government colleges would be open for sports activities before, during and after school hours. Over five years, this policy would be extended to all colleges. It was the government's intention to have students spent at least 30 minutes a day in sports. Skolasport, which this year had a record 2,416 applications, would be extended to the weekends. It would be restructured to offer more disciplines and organise activities to the aged.

The National Sports Council will be offering a new scheme for athletes with disability. Mr Puli said that in sports, a Child Protection Policy would to be launched in the interest of children attending sports activities and training.

The sports complex at Kirkop would be ready by the end of the year and they were working on the technical and design brief of the north complex as soon as possible.

A new fitness centre is earmarked for Tal-Qroqq while structural works would start on the national pool.

The government has drawn up a master plan for Marsa and finished the procedure for the protocol for college sports facilities to be made available to the community after school hours.

He also announced the opening of the first fitness centre at Ta' Qali to be used for free by everybody.

Mr Puli said another eight parcels of land or properties, costing €1.3 million, would be passed on to sport associations later this year, bringing the total to 24.

The government was also helping those athletes who participate in international sports through a scheme under which they spend 20 hours a week working and another 20 hours training.

Charló Bonnici (Nat) said work in the various levels of education, deemed essential for Vision 2015, had been done. This work included investment in all levels of education, in teachers, e-learning, Mcast and the University, as well as new schools.

Various proposals to increase opportunities for children to further their studies were made. Even children with a disability were being encouraged to further their studies.

There had been a spread of the network of childcare and after school services. There was development of studies at the University, ITS and Mcast.

Sports facilities, such as those at St Benedict's and St Ignatius', and Verdala were available. Other facilities, such as those in Luqa and Mellieħa, were opened.

Higher education was instrumental when it came to human resources and industry, if Malta was to become a centre of excellence.

SmartCity would increase the demand for employees, and the University and Mcast had a responsibility to provide these graduates. €1.5m had been allocated to the University, for further research and library. He also praised the University for obtaining €50 million in funding, for some 17 different projects from the EU.

They had also invested €3.7 million for the start of work towards a new campus at Mcast, which naturally would cost a lot more. The EU would also be financing a multimedia training centre, and new computer and engineering systems, among others. Other institutions of higher education, such as Giovanni Curmi, were also to see improvements.

There was encouragement, in the form of scholarships to encourage students to study to Masters and PhD level, both abroad and in Malta.

A strategic education scheme, offering 500 scholarships in science and technology, education and socioeconomic priority sectors, was in the pipeline. There were other scholarships, such as those of the Commonwealth.

Structures such as the National Commission for Higher Education, among others, were set up to prevent missed opportunities. All institutions which came here with professional and serious suggestions had to be kept in Malta, and not lost to other countries.

To reach the target of 5,000 foreign students in higher education, he said, we had to do away with unnecessary bureaucracy. The University also had to revise its courses, and assess whether these might be too long. He also asked about plans for long distance learning, and joint courses.

In this sector there was no room for a territorial mentality, he said, everyone had to work together.