Education Minister Dolores Cristina has explained in Parliament why University students are being required to submit their exam work in English and not Maltese.

Replying to questions by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, she said that a legal notice issued in October last year had confirmed the long-existing practice with regard to the languages which could be used for exams and assessments. In the past, there were students who were allowed to submit their work in Maltese, she admitted, but this was not with the approval of the Senate.

The minister said the Senate was insisting on its policy for all courses at the University (except language studies) for various reasons.

Among them was the fact that English was the preferred medium for higher education across the world. This meant that most literature available for researchers, in practically all disciplines, was in English.

Malta needed to have students who were competent in the use of English in all areas of their studies so that they could compete with students abroad.

It was ultimately beneficial for the students to develop their English language skills, something which many other far bigger countries also desired.

Mrs Cristina said the University should not distinguish between exams and study units. All assessments and study units were important and should be submitted in the same manner. It would be unfair, even to the students, to be allowed to submit some work in Maltese and the rest in English. Furthermore, foreign examiners, who did not know Maltese, had a right to see all study units, and they, therefore, all had to be in English.