Once the Education Act is enacted, anyone who has already applied or is reading a Masters degree will still be able to apply for a teaching warrant under the old law, said Education Minister Louis Galea yesterday in parliament.

Dr Galea was discussing the Education Act at committee stage during the morning session.

At present, anyone who has a Masters degree can apply for a teaching warrant, regardless of the area of study. Dr Galea explained that this law was drawn up in the 1980s due to the lack of teachers at that time.

However, under the new law anyone who applies for a Masters degree will have to take up a PGCE course before the warrant is granted.

Dr Galea also proposed introducing a two-year obligatory teaching period for graduate students before they are granted their warrant.

“At present, any B. Ed graduate is immediately granted a teaching warrant,” he said. “Under the new law, graduates will have to teach for two years under supervision before they are awarded a warrant.”

Temporary warrants will no longer be granted with the new law, said Dr Galea. At the moment, anyone teaching without the necessary qualifications is granted a temporary warrant and can apply for a permanent warrant after 15 years.

“Under the new Act, warrants will not be granted to people without the necessary qualifications teaching for 15 years,” said Dr Galea. “However, there will be a transition period wherein people who taught for over eight years will fall under the old system and can apply for a warrant after 15 years.”

Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said he is sceptical about why the ministry is raising barriers for students who want to become teachers and asked for a justification.

He pointed out that teaching courses only last three years in foreign universities.

However, Dr Galea said that these new measures are not meant to act as barriers and will not affect the labour market negatively

It will improve the final product for schools, he added. “Warrants will be granted to people who worked for two years, and not to people who have never taught but just have an academic qualification.”

There are no entry barriers for people who want to apply for teaching courses and there is no basis to Dr Sant’s claim, he added. Once students graduate, they will work for two years under supervision and apply for a warrant.

“The Faculty for Education and the Malta Union of Teachers do not have any objection to this issue,” he said.

Labour spokesperson on education Carmelo Abela said schools should also be used as community centres.

“After school is finished, the buildings can used to help out the community and provide it with different services,” said Mr Abela.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo pointed out that not all heads of schools are willing to open their schools in the evening and suggested setting up a management agreement allowing the school to be used.

Dr Galea explained that certain schools are used in collaboration with local councils but sometimes it is not a feasible idea due to the lack of staff. “Using schools in the community should not be something sporadic,” he added.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo said that due to the lack of vocations, certain Church schools find difficulty in having religious staff.

Dr Galea said the future of Church schools is a complex issue. “In a few years, certain schools will be run by lay people and not by religious people.”

He suggested bringing together state and Church schools through the colleges. They will reach a working agreement with schools and colleges that are not Church schools.