Grima said the new rules were first proposed by the Junior College board, approved by the Senate and signed off by the University Chancellor as per normal process.

“Junior College is there to prepare students for university,” he pointed out. “Students will still need Maths, Maltese and English to enter university, but rather than spend a year outside the education system, they can study at Junior College while obtaining their grades.”

The minister said this move could result in a decline in Malta’s early school-leaving rate, which is currently the highest in the EU.

He dismissed any suggestions that this new rule was purposefully introduced to coincide with the general election, arguing that he couldn’t exactly tell the Senate he wouldn’t sign it because an election is coming. 

Instead, he said the idea stemmed from when, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Malta allowed students to enrol as first years without all the entry requirements, with the caveat that they must obtain these grades over the next 12 months to be promoted to second year.

“A large percentage of these students graduated,” he pointed out.

The new rule has proven to be controversial, with the Nationalist Party suggesting it could be an attempt at vote-buying and the Malta Union of Teachers calling for its suspension. 

The University of Malta then issued the following statement:

“The University is an autonomous institution which determines the entry requirements for its various programmes of studies as well as those for the Junior College. Entry requirements are discussed and agreed upon by the University’s Senate and then promulgated via a Legal Notice.”

“At the beginning of this year, the Board of the Junior College unanimously agreed to submit a proposal to the University’s Senate to amend the entry requirements to the Junior College in a bid to provide an even wider opportunity to students to continue their studies at the College.”

“Senate, in a meeting held on January 20, 2022 agreed with these proposals and decreed that students in possession of six passes (Grades 1-5) at SEC level, with at least one pass in one of the core subjects (Maltese, English Language and Mathematics) will be allowed to enroll at the Junior College on a probationary basis. Such students will need to achieve a pass mark in the remaining core subject/s in order for them to be able to proceed to the University.”

“Probationary students will follow lectures in Advanced and Intermediate subjects of their choice (plus Systems of Knowledge) as taught by Junior College Lecturers but will be offered special classes for their missing core SEC subjects, these being taught by teachers who will be purposely commissioned to help these students obtain their missing grades.”

“Entry requirements to most UM courses have also been tweaked but students wishing to enrol for an undergraduate programme must be in possession of a pass mark in Maltese, English Language and Mathematics at SEC level. Changes in the entry requirements for both Junior College and the University are motivated by the University’s firm commitment to reach out to the largest number of students possible because the nation’s most important asset is its human resources.”

“More information on the entry requirements for prospective JC students can be found at: jc.um.edu.mt/journey while those for UM programmes of study can be accessed at um.edu.mt/registrar.”

Do you agree with these new entry rules?