I refer to Marisa Micallef’s article, The university of life? (TMID, 28 August). Ms Micallef seems to feel that the University of Malta makes it unnecessarily difficult for students to enter university.

This is not the case and statistics prove otherwise.

Over the last ten years, the number of students qualifying for admission to university has increased steadily. For example, 972 students obtained the Matriculation Certificate in 1997 while in 2005, the number increased to 1,469. This year, the number of students qualifying for the certificate is expected to increase further with the help of the supplementary session in September which, one should add, is not available to students in many other countries.

The MATSEC Board conducts continuing research to try to understand exactly what happens to students who take the Matriculation Certificate. Research published in the MATSEC Review Report has shown that the weaker students, who qualify for the Matriculation Certificate in the supplementary session, face a tough first year at university. It is often these students who drop out in the initial stages of their course. For these students it would probably have been better had they waited another year to become stronger in their subjects before entering university.

In the UK, most students opt for a “gap year” between sixth form and university. This is an invaluable experience both for the brighter and the more average students which definitely helps them to face their university studies better.

In most EU countries, there is a numerus clausus on many courses. This is not the case at the University of Malta except for one or two courses and for reasons particular to them. Until a very few years ago, the limited number for the M.D. course meant, in practice, that only students with 3 straight As could obtain entry. Yet with today’s special course requirements, any student who obtains the Matriculation Certificate is allowed entry into the M.D. course.

Standards can always be lowered, but, in the long run, it would be detrimental to the students themselves to do so.

It seems that Ms Micallef objects to the requirement of SEC level Maltese for admission to the university. Research published in the MATSEC Review Report shows that in most countries the native language is a compulsory component of pre-university studies.

Patricia Camilleri

Principal Communications Officer

University of Malta