This week’s announcement that the University of Malta will have its budget allocation for this year reduced by more than €1 million with more reductions next year is a sheer example of this Government’s misguided priorities.
Reigning in public financing should target the reduction of the heavily subsidised petrol and diesel and not jeopardizing the country’s future.
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that “the University and education in general should be injected with additional financial resources in order to be more effective in the holistic development of our students.”
In spite of the fake pre-election pledge to increase the budget allocation for research to 2% of GDP, even these funds are expected to be curtailed. And this when our country is repeatedly classified in the lower rankings for investment in Research & Development within Europe.
Lack of investment in education may discourage students to continue their studies at tertiary level. “The best investment we can make is in the education of future generations. However the Government has not prioritised tomorrow,” concluded Cacopardo.
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L-Universita’ tissaħħaħ għandha bżonn u mhux tnaqqis fil-baġit
L-aħbar ta’ din il-ġimgħa li l-Universita’ ta’ Malta se jkollha tnaqqis ta’ aktar minn miljun ewro mill-baġit allokat lilha mill-Gvern għal din is-sena u miljuni oħra mill-budget tas-sena d-dieħla turi b’mod ċar li l-Gvern għandu prijoritajiet żbaljati.
Jekk għandu jkun hemm tnaqqis mill-infieq pubbliku dan għandu jsir billi jitnaqqsu sostanzjalment is-sussidji fuq il-petrol u id-dijsil u mhux billi nilgħabu mal-futur tal-pajjiż.
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo qal li “l-Universita’ u l-edukazzjoni b’mod ġenerali jeħtieġu żieda fir-riżorsi finanzjarji biex ikunu iktar effettivi fl-iżvilupp sħiħ tal-istudenti tagħna.”
Minkejja il-wegħdiet fiergħa ta’ qabel l-aħħar elezzjoni biex tiżdied l-allokazzjoni ta’ fondi għar-riċerka għal 2% tal-GDP, dawn il-fondi ukoll mistennija li jitnaqqsu. U dan meta pajjiżna regolarment jiġi ikklassifikat lejn l-aħħar fl-Ewropa fejn jidħol investiment fir-riċerka.
Tnaqqis ta’ investiment fl-edukazzjoni inevitabbilment iwassal biex jiskoraġġixxi studenti li jkomplu jistudjaw fuq livell terzjarju u dan mhux biss fl-Università. “L-ikbar investiment li nistgħu nagħmlu hu fl-edukazzjoni. Imma sfortunatament għall-Gvern għada mhux prijorità” ikkonkluda Cacopardo.
