The Malta Chamber of Scientists has given its feedback in response to the National Strategic Plan for Further and Higher Education 2022-2030.

The Chamber suggested that the plan be presented and discussed further with members of civil society, and that task-forces proposed be underpinned by evidence-based research, including that wherever available undertaken by scholars in Malta.

The Chamber in a statement, welcomed the National Strategic Plan for Further and Higher Education 2022-2030 and has submitted its response to the public open consultation launched by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation.

The strategy highlights the improvements achieved by Malta in reducing the number of early school leavers and increasing tertiary education attainment, among other metrics, it said.

However, the Chamber noted that it “remains worrying that according to the 2018 PISA report, Malta performs worse than the OECD average in reading, mathematics, and science. Over time, the trend in science has been negative.”

In parallel, there has also been a continuous decline in the number of STEM graduates being produced by Maltese higher education institutions, it said.

The Chamber added that it is “concerned that there do not appear to be concrete plans in the strategy document to address these issues.”

The Chamber also noted that “very little mention is made of innovation or creativity. Both are widely regarded as invaluable skills for the twenty-first century and indispensable for employment as well as self-fulfilment and a better quality of life.”

The Chamber underscored the importance of “maintaining and introducing initiatives which support inclusivity and help struggling students to achieve the minimum levels.”

Notwithstanding, the Chamber said that it it maintains that it is equally important to help gifted and talented students to achieve their full potential.

The plan suggests efforts to make Vocational Education and Training (VET) more responsive to technological developments.

The Chamber maintained that improvements must be made in terms of budget allocations to the appropriate streams (e.g., STEM subjects require more investment than other areas), adequate human resources (including technical and administrative staff), and the simplification of procurement procedures to ensure adequate procurement in the appropriate time. It is also very important to make an emphasis on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

The Chamber concluded that the gender gap referred to in the plan is a universal issue. “While female participation tends to be low in STEM subjects, it is important to consider the opposite trend in health sciences and related programmes, such as education and nursing,” the Chamber said.

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