Government re-assessing higher education funding

A review of the higher education sector began on Maundy Thursday as Education Minister Louis Galea set up a working group to re-assess government funding of higher education institutions, including a revision of students' maintenance grants.

The working group - chaired by Roderick Chalmers, with Peter Serracino Inglott, Ann Marie Thake and Jacques Sciberras as members - has been asked to report on the resources available at all state-funded higher education institutions, including the Junior College, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the University of Malta.

According to the Education Minister the government has adopted a policy that will increase the demand on educational institutions as more people will want to study at a higher education level.

"To open up educational institutions for more people you need more money and, more importantly, you need to rationalise resources and distribute money thoughtfully. This is why such a review is necessary," Dr Galea said.

Therefore, the situation needed to be addressed with a review of the present funding system, to increase, redirect and accord funds wherever necessary.

The review should consist of a critical analysis of the present system from different perspectives as well as recommendations on the appropriate short and long-term measures that should secure the financial sustainability of these institutions.

"There is an important tie between the economy and education. The two issues cannot be spoken about separately," Dr Galea said.

In carrying out a wide consultation exercise with all stakeholders, including the institutions themselves, the student bodies and the unions, the working group is expected to come up with creative ideas on how to reform the system as the minister has not imposed any real limits.

"There are no limits set. The group could come up with suggestions that are different from the systems we know today. The only limits are the objectives set by the government to improve the quality of higher education and to encourage more people to take it up."

Meanwhile, the minister said, the government would be looking at how it would find more money to increase the general funding of educational institutions.

"A preliminary report should be ready in six months' time, but the whole report is expected within a year," Dr Galea said.

The financial review is being carried out in the context of the national plan on employment, which, the minister said, was directly linked to education.

A government appointed commission chaired by former Central Bank governor Anthony Galdes had reviewed the students' grant scheme in 1998 and subsequently issued a report in February 1999.

The reform included the enactment of the Post-Secondary and Tertiary Students Maintenance Grants Regulations that replaced the former Student Stipends Scheme.

The report also placed the then controversial stipends issue in a wider perspective by pointing out that monthly students' grants should be considered in an overall context of institute financing, quality and standards assurance and access to higher education institutions.

The Galdes report also called for another review exercise of the workings of the student support scheme in five years' from then.

In 1988, the government had introduced stipends as an incentive for more young people to read for a degree at university. Since then, the number of students at higher education level has increased substantially.

University students today number about 10,000, including part-time students and 750 foreign students. A total of 2,000 students graduated this year and 3,000 were admitted last October.

At MCAST, which is now three years old, there are 3,500 full-time students and 1,000 in part-time courses.