Education Minister Louis Galea yesterday launched the adult courses for the scholastic year 2007-8, together with courses for the Centru tat-Taghlim tul il-Hajja and the schools of arts, music and drama. The prospectus is available from the education division, local councils and from the site www.eveningclasses.gov.mt Applications will be received between Monday and 14 September.

Dr Galea said over 250 courses are being offered, based on cultural, social and human aspects, all complementary to each other and necessary to achieve the national aims based on European aims as expressed by the Lisbon conference.

International research, the minister said, had shown a direct relation between education, training and economic development. The heavy investment in education was not investment only in the development of children, young people and adults, but investment that will add to the country’s wealth.

Youth participation in post-secondary education had risen from 40.7 per cent in 2000 to 70 per cent in 2005. More students were also continuing with their education. The student population at MCAST has risen sharply and the Employment and Training Corporation was training apprentices in 19 trades, and 6,500 were attending the ETC’s evening courses during the year.

Dr Galea said that Eurostat figures showed that 53 per cent of Maltese aged between 25 and 64 had taken part in courses and educational programmes, which was higher than the EU average of 42 per cent. And more women attended these courses in Malta than men, which was the opposite in Europe.

The private sector was also involved and there are 107 private, licensed training centres. Of the over 250 courses, 65 are being run in Gozo. Over 8,000 adults are expected to attend the 1,300 or so classes being provided.

Urging everyone to see what they could avail themselves of, Dr Galea said they were doing their best to enable everyone to attend courses. Applications could be made by post, telephone or fax or on the internet.