After the summer break, the doors of the country’s schools and institutions for higher education have reopened to enable almost one-fifth of the population to continue their studies at various levels.
Last week I was invited to Freshers’ Week at the University, which gave me another welcome opportunity to meet and talk to students and to launch a couple of initiatives in youth empowerment and sport together with Agenzija Zghazagh and the Malta University Sports Club.
On a campus bustling with activity, our youngsters seemed more than ever ready to “arise and excel”, as the KSU rightly put it. Of course, this augurs well for the future, as highly qualified young people will attract both local and foreign investors who will continue to boost our economy further and will also put Malta on the right track to meet the EU 2020 targets.
This year, the university has a record number of 11,341 students, including 3,561 new entrants, and is offering a total of 697 courses, including 25 new ones.
The success in further education is not only reflected in the university figures, everywhere. Last year’s official statistics show that 73 per cent of 17-year-olds have continued with further studies. This shows a 30 per cent increase in the last 10 years, which is a great achievement.
During the period 2000-2009 the number of graduates in the 30-34 age-group increased by 13.7 per cent, a figure that is among the highest in the EU. The government is giving the challenge of early school leavers a top priority, and it is felt that we are on the right track to meet the EU 2020 targets. We have continued to register progress over the past 12 months and the number of early school leavers has declined by a further 1.6 per cent.
A record number of students are undertaking post-secondary and tertiary education at the university, MCAST, the Institute of Tourism Studies, the Junior College and Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School. In addition to the 697 courses being offered at the university, MCAST is offering 11 new degree and 240 part-time courses to its 10,000 full-time and part-time students. The Institute for Tourism Studies is also showing an impressive increase of 39 per cent.
Equally impressive is Youth Inc., which was introduced in January. The Foundation for Educational Service, in collaboration with the ETC and MQC, has launched a programme that incorporates academic and vocational training spread over a period of two years, thus giving a second chance to young people between the ages of 16 and 21 who were not able to continue their studies because they did not reach the required grade. What makes Youth Inc interesting is that not only does it offer students a second chance, it also offers them a different path to learning.
It is always worth pointing out that while students in a number of countries are protesting about cuts in education budgets and increases in university charges, last year our 16,000 students in higher education up to first degree level, were entitled not only to a first class free education, but also €22.3m in stipends. The current estimated annual expenditure of €330m which, despite the world economic crunch, shows an increase of €32m on the previous one, is not maintained without an element of sacrifice: We simply believe that investing in education is the most intelligent way of investing in our young people and our country.