Beyond EU competence

Mary Mercieca asks: What does the EU law say about the number of children in the classroom and the responsibilities the Kindergarten assistant has especially when she has more than 10 pupils?

EU law does not provide a reply to this question.

There are no EU laws or standards on the number of children in classrooms. This is an issue over which the EU has no competence at all. The competence to determine this matter lies at the national level. In this case, it is up to the Maltese education authorities to determine the number of pupils in classrooms. Not the EU.

Consequently, the responsibility of Kindergarten assistants is also a matter for national authorities to determine.

Education policy remains one of the few policy areas that continue to lie predominantly at the national level, with little direct involvement by the EU. And there is no intention to change this.

The EU limits itself to promote cooperation among EU countries in the area of education through its popular programmes, such as Socrates and Comenius.

However, although the EU does not have a leading role in setting an education policy, its other policies do have an impact - at times major - on the educational choices made at national level.

This is particularly the case with regard to the impact of free movement of workers, recognition of qualifications and, more recently, with the high educational targets incorporated into the so-called Lisbon Strategy, which is intended to make Europe the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

Joseph Mizzi writes: I am a Maltese resident in Settembrina Street, Ghaxaq, and I am writing this letter to complain about the drainage system in our area.

The problem is that we do not have a drainage system although we have paid all the road contributions when purchasing our property. We do not even have an asphalted road.

I have been living here for four years now but other residents have been living in this condition for the last 20 years. This is a ridiculous situation that has been passed from government to government and still (in 2005!) has not been resolved.

Now that we are European citizens too, we feel at last we can complain on a larger scale.

I hope this letter will be handed to the authorities concerned and push our government to do something about it in the nearest future.

The organisation and the implementation of works relating to the drainage system are not a matter of EU competence. They are a national matter. Consequently, I'm afraid I have no competence to look into such an issue at all.

However, I cannot but empathise with you on this matter. To be left waiting for so many years for drainage services is inexcusable.

I hope that the powers-that-be are reading this and can move to remedy the situation at the earliest. And provide an explanation to the rest of us.

Readers who would like to raise issues or ask a question to Dr Busuttil are invited to send an e-mail, making reference to this column, to contact@simonbusuttil.com