The Association of Private Tutors has asked the government to boost the public tuition sector and also to implement changes to halt what it said was the negative attitude of certain people within the Department of Education towards private tuition.

In a statement released yesterday by the Malta Labour Party after a meeting with Opposition Leader Alfred Sant, association president Roseanne Galea was quoted as saying that members of the association invested in the sector over the years by employing a number of people, while providing education to thousands of students.

The association would like its work to be acknowledged by the government, since this sector carries much potential, also due to the fact that foreign students may be brought over to study in Malta, she was quoted as saying.

Ms Galea explained that there currently exists a big problem whereby degrees obtained from certain foreign universities are not acknowledged in Malta, although they are acknowledged in other universities. A similar situation also exists in Malta, since the government does not acknowledge a particular course in childcare offered by its very own Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), she said.

Dr Sant explained his views about the MLP’s draft plan on education and said that the party is carrying out a series of meetings with all stakeholders in the educational sector since he would like the party’s proposals to become relevant and applicable. The Labour Party would like to address various challenges, among which that of a wider educational coverage in the fields of science, technology and IT, so that the country may reach the EU’s aims. The illiteracy problem in Malta also needs to be addressed.