Education Malta launched

Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo attends the launch of Education Malta

The provision of private educational services in Malta has over the past years grown dramatically. Education is now being considered as a potentially new economic service growth area in line with the already varied economic services activities, contributing to Malta’s economy and job creation.

This sector was also identified by the Malta Chamber in its Economic Vision for Malta 2014-2020 as one of the 11 sectors to contribute to Malta’s economic growth during the set period.

Following the Government’s endorsement of the Chamber’s Economic Vision, it was only natural that the Chamber and the Government through the Ministry for Education and Employment to initiate discussions in 2015 on the establishment of an entity that will promote investment in this sector.

“The newly established Education Malta will primarily harness this economic potential and provide a structure to promote investment and support to stakeholders in this sector” said Anton Borg, President of the Malta Chamber on 27th October as he was addressing the media during the launch of Education Malta.

Anton Borg said that Education Malta follows in the Economic Vision of the Chamber for Malta which promotes the cooperation between Government and the private sector in a way that best capitalises on the strategic strengths of each.  Education Malta shall witness the Chamber strengthening its position in a sector which is ripe with potential for investment and which has an exciting future ahead of it.

Minister for Education and Employment, Evarist Bartolo said that Malta was seeing substantial interest from international educational entities seeking to establish here to attract foreign students to study locally. Malta should endeavour to attract quality institutions. Education Malta should complement the Government Ministry for Education and Employment as the legislator, while the National Commission for Further and Higher Education will continue to rigorously see that the set high standards and levels in education are retained. ‘We will not compromise quality for quantity’ Minister Bartolo added. This new initiative is another proposal as part of the Government’s wider programme for education delivered in this legislature. More opportunities will be created for academics and students. Education Malta will continue to build on the success of the English Language teaching which has gained a good brand over the many years.

Education Malta is a not-for-profit Foundation whose objective is to promote the internationalisation of education in Malta and attract foreign educational entities to establish a presence in Malta. It will join other national agencies which form part of the European Union Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture to promote European higher education under the Study in Europe project.

Education Malta will work closely with those private educational entities already established and operating in Malta. It will also coordinate with the University of Malta, The Malta College of Arts Science and Technology, and the Malta Council for Science and Technology.

Education Malta will also advise and work with Government on the formulation of policies in the area of international educational services.

Photo: DOI