It is not only this government that lists education as one of its top and foremost priorities, as various Nationalist governments over the years have been consistent in their belief that education is the key to individual and societal success. No wonder that, for 2012, the government chose to vote the largest budget allocation for any year since Malta gained its independence.

The setting up of the Malta College of the Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the Institute for Tourism Studies, the massive extension of University courses and population, childcare centres, the flourishing life-long learning courses and the present policy of building state-of-the-art schools for compulsory education are all examples of philosophy being translated into action.

Investing in higher education

In recent years we have strived to increase the number of students in higher education. That is why we are so in favour of increasing university education opportunities further and why we are proud of MCAST for giving students a second chance of higher education and just as proud of Youth.Inc, which provides a different approach to learning and obtaining qualifications. This is also the reason why we strive to maintain the stipend system for those in higher education.

Maltese student’s participation rate in higher education is currently 73 per cent and we have no qualms in admitting that we are leaving no stone unturned to increase this percentage. The government is not taking lightly the issue of early school leavers – defined by the EE as students who complete their secondary education without moving on to higher education. Nonetheless, it is fair to note that the present participation represents a huge leap over 1999, which had a participation rate of 43 per cent, and a substantial increase over years as recent as 2008, that is, the beginning of this legislature.

Of course one can imagine what a great leap we have made since 1987, the last year of a Labour Government which seemed to have an aversion to education and students. But the leap from 43 per cent in 1999 to 73 per cent is also politically significant for two main reasons: the first being the re-opening of MCAST – which had been closed by a Labour administration in the seventies – in 2000 and the second being the reassurance that the stipend system enjoyed by the increasing thousands of students in higher education, will not be replaced by a loan system as suggested by Labour in government between 1996 and 1998.

Scholarships for PhDs, the arts and sport

In the last four years the government has awarded 1,500 scholarships to students to further their studies by pursuing doctorates, masters’ degrees and undergraduate studies. Last year we introduced arts scholarships and a couple of days ago we launched a call for those interested in obtaining a sports scholarship. We are offering a number of scholarships for students who are interested in pursuing excellence in sport or ancillary sectors such as sports administration, management, psychology, medicine and coaching – and all in pursuit of excellence.

Education a top priority for the present and the future

Thanks to the government’s policy on education, amongst other things, we have an all-time record number of 150,000 people gainfully occupied and Malta is currently in the top five EU countries with the least number of people looking for a job and in the top four when it comes to youth unemployment. Education remains our top political priority.

Clyde Puli is Parliamentary Secretary

for Youth and Sport