Some news coming from the education sector is indeed worrying. After the reported shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools, it now seems the University has a shortage of lecture rooms. This is no way to improve educational achievement levels that are already among the lowest in the EU.

Sources who spoke to the Times of Malta confirmed that lecturers are regularly being told to reschedule sessions as there are no lecture rooms available. Lecturers are reportedly opting to conduct their lessons in small offices.

The University authorities say that very few lectures have not been assigned a venue. They also noted that changes in timetables meant that a venue was not always available instantly.

Students who frequently complain about a shortage of parking places for their cars have, so far, not commented on the lack of lecture rooms.

The shortage of physical space for university lecturers to teach their students is a universal problem that afflicts both developed and developing countries. While the University of Malta at times uses portable cabins as emergency lecture rooms, in Kenya, where the university student population is growing rapidly, some students are taking their lectures under tents that have been given the flattering name of academic greenhouses.

Poor lecturing facilities are a serious stumbling block that any educational system should avoid if it aspires to excel in training the professionals of tomorrow. Few doubt that the failure to plan for adequate lecture rooms for the growing number of university students cannot be attributed to the university management.

The University of Malta is auto-nomous in the way it operates but is almost totally dependent on the government for its funding. Fiscal constraints over the past few years meant that the university management could never have a sound strategic plan to cater for its growth at a time when demand for university education keeps increasing.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Education is responsible to provide the resources that the University needs to carry out its function effectively. A good example of good strategic planning in education was shown by a previous administration that had a robust plan to restructure the Mcast campus in Paola. No similar plans seem to exist for the University.

Such plans take time to define. It takes even longer to source the funds to implement them. But today’s students cannot wait for the educational authorities to make up their minds on what to do next to provide the University with better lecturing facilities.

One possible short-term solution could be to have satellite campuses by renting suitable properties throughout the island. The University of Palermo, which is possibly even more cash- strapped than ours, has been renting local film theatres to provide lecturing space for students.

Social analysts, who do not base their outlook for our society in the next few decades on traditional economic indicators, consider that the educational system may be the Achilles heel that could prevent us from reaching our full potential as a nation.

The educational reforms that have been churned out by policymakers in the last decade often fail the test of common sense. Shortage of teaching staff, a disgruntled teaching profession and a University that has inadequate facilities are signs that not all is well on the educational front.

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