Former Labour Education Minister Philip Muscat (TMID 17 December) wrote about the university and the student worker scheme as introduced by the Labour government.

I must admit I was surprised by the way Dr Muscat defended the action taken by his government at the time.

Everyone remembers how difficult it was to get into university, when the number of admissions was restricted and when courses were not opened every year.

This, I believe, led many to abandon the idea of obtaining a university degree, which means that Malta potentially lost more graduates. Others opted to leave the island and study abroad, and many still live in other countries. This means that Malta lost valid people and is still missing their services today.

It was under the Nationalist government that the university doors were really opened to everyone with the necessary qualifications. It was under the Nationalist government that students were given a better opportunity to further their studies.

T. Mifsud

Sliema