The Nationalist Party today presented a motion in Parliament to amend legal notice 150 which effectively lowers the criteria for educational institutions to be licensed as universities.

The motion was presented by Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anglu Farrugia, and proposes removing the parts of the Legal Notice that "reduce standards".

The reduction of requirements for educational institutions to become universities through the Legal Notice was brought to light by the Malta Independent last month.

The legal notice which lowers the criteria for universities was published by the government just three days after it signed a heads of agreement with a Jordanian investor who is planning to build a university at Zonqor Point.

University academics who have requested an urgent meeting to discuss the controversial Legal Notice 150 of 2015, which has altered the requirements for education institutions to be accredited as universities, with Education Minister Evarist Bartolo have been given an appointment in mid-June, this newspaper has learned.

On Friday, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil met with university academics to discuss LN150, which has "lowered the requirements" needed by an entity to qualify as a university.

"The lecturers expressed concern over this change in the law, mostly because of the way in which this will affect the university's reputation," Dr Busuttil said. 

"There is nothing wrong in having another university but the government should not lower existing standards.  That could affect the reputation enjoyed so far by the University of Malta and those who graduated here."

The Opposition Leader, flanked by PN Deputy Leader Mario De Marco, PN Whip David Agius and PN MP George Pullicino, stressed that the National Commission for Further and Higher Education will have the ability through the Legal Notice, to call an entity a university based on a single criteria, the national interest. Dr Busuttil added that this worried the PN as an educational institution should only be known as a university if it is entitled to be. 

He also said that the reduction in requirements will negatively affect the University of Malta's reputation and that of present and future students.

Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia said that he will place the motion on the book immediately, and it will then be discussed in the House Business Committee.

Dr Busuttil added that the Legal Notice was introduced behind everyone's backs. He has no doubt that the Legal Notice is in some way linked to the proposed Zonqor University. The Legal Notice will reduce the number of Masters courses and Doctorates required for an academic institution to be recognised as a University.

In a press conference later on in the afternoon, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said the legal notice actually tightens standards, as tuition centres will be more tightly regulated.

On the “national interest” clause, Mr Bartolo said that it is the National Commission for Further and Higher Education that is tasked with vetting applicants, and the government does not interfere.

The Commission is appointed by the government.

Asked why the clause is needed, Mr Bartolo said it is the government’s stated policy to create and “international education sector,” though he did not elaborate further on this.

He said the nationalist interest clause does not override the standards set out in the legal notice.

The legal notice must be read in conjunction with the Education Act, he said, and the Commission had been working on the legal notice for “months,” therefore it was not a coincidence that it was published shortly after the American University investment was announced.

No one is going to buy a license to operate in Malta, he said.

Although under the previous law six programme had to be offered in order to qualify as a university, the new legal notice states that a minimum of four programmes must now be offered.

This does not impact on the quality of the programme, as a strong due diligence process is in place he said, with rigorous internal and external quality assurance checks. 

Photos by Jonathan Borg