The government must take responsibility for yet another failure in the education sector, the Nationalist Party said Monday, referring to the exclusion of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) from the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR).

This will have serious negative consequences for advanced education in Malta, the PN said. The appeal filed by MFHEA after an initial exclusion has been rejected.

The PN said it has been warning about this issue since November of last year, when it revealed that the MFHEA had failed in its attempt to be listed on this European register.

This exclusion meant that several educational institutions in Malta, particularly in the private sector, are now facing recognition issues abroad. Qualifications accredited by the MFHEA are not being recognised in other countries simply because Malta is not a member of EQAR. This is having a direct negative impact on both students and the overall credibility of Malta's education sector.

The PN said it expects the government to take immediate action and present a credible plan to restore the authority's reputation and address the needs of Malta's educational institutions. At the same time, the PN called for concrete reforms within the MFHEA to ensure this vital sector continues to attract quality students and uphold European standards.