The Opposition's spokesman for education had criticised the government for not even considering a proposal by the Faculty of Education for an application for EU funds to improve its facilities.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo in a statement said the Ministry of Education itself had invited the faculty to submit its proposal.

But after the proposal was submitted, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry in a curt note said it would not be considered because, at €17 million, it exceeded the funding allocation threshold by €7 million. The faculty had never been previously informed of the threshold.

When the faculty dean phoned the Permanent Secretary to enquire about what had happened, she was told that for the governemnt, the Faculty of Education was not important, Mr Bartolo said.

The faculty then sent an appeal to the Office of the Prime Minister, which decides on EU funding issues, whereupon the Permanent Secretary also wrote to the OPM, asking it not to consider the appeal, Mr Bartolo said.

He said it was shameful of the Permanent Secretary to have said that the Faculty of Education was not important for the governemnt. This reflected badly on what should be the government's esteem of teachers.