Our political parties seem to agree on the critical importance of education for our economic and social success. Despite spending slightly more than the EU average for education, many argue that the achievement outcome of the education system remains disappointing.
The latest confirmation of this worrying trend is the UK’s The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024, which grades 2,600 universities worldwide. The headline news of this report is that the University of Malta (UOM), while still ranking among the top 1,000 universities, has dropped down a set of global rankings for several fields, including arts, computer science and health.
The rigorous methodology underpinning this ranking exercise is robust and based on the quality of teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook.
A deeper analysis reveals other sobering realities for local policymakers. For instance, several minor regional universities in Italy ranked higher than the UOM. Moreover, while still dominated by universities in the US and UK, China is creeping up the THE’s rankings.
Another noteworthy trend is the dominance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields in the Middle East and North Africa.
There are various reasons behind the UOM’s lacklustre performance. The minister of finance is correct when arguing that we do not need to spend more on education but we must get better outcomes for the money we spend.
In the last three decades, several educational reforms were described as groundbreaking and game changers that would see the achievement outcome of students improve dramatically.
Admittedly, some education achievement indicators have improved but Malta still ranks in the lowest rungs of the EU achievement ladder.
There is reason to believe that some outdated educational policies may be changing.
The prime minister announced that the stipend system will be altered to entice students to follow the more challenging STEM courses that are in demand by employers operating in today’s economic realities. This change is critically important even if many students will put pressure to restore the more egalitarian system that has been in place for several years.
The higher education policymakers must also review their spending to ensure that they are not spreading their limited resources too thinly. Many European universities catering to students’ needs in a community of Malta’s size have decided to prioritise the fields in which they will offer first-degree and post-graduate courses.
The UOM and MCAST need to prioritise spending to encourage students to follow courses that provide the best opportunities for them to pursue a rewarding career.
For too long, the education authorities have focused on the indicator measuring the number of students graduating annually. This needs to change. For once, policymakers and their political masters must pursue the quest for excellence in students’ achievement. The overused mantra ‘the best in Europe’ has certainly not applied to our educational system.
Politicians do not pursue educational reform with sufficient determination as the benefits take a generation to be achieved while the political cycle is just a few years long. Still, the search for educational excellence is the best investment any administration can make to promote socio-economic well-being for society.
Ultimately, redesigning the country’s economic model will have to rely heavily on the assumption that the education system will lead to an exponential improvement in achievement levels.