€27 million investment to stabilise independent school fees

A €27 million government investment in the independent school sector will prevent significant fee increases while providing financial assistants to the respective schools.

The agreement, reached between the government and the Independent Schools Association (ISA), was approved by Cabinet earlier today, and will directly benefit 8,244 students and the 967 educators employed in these schools.

This investment, amounting to €26,875,940, follows concerns raised by ISA about significant increases in fees that parents with children in independent schools were expected to face at the start of the upcoming school year.

These fee hikes were attributed to recent adjustments in salaries under a sectoral agreement with the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT).

Education minister Clifton Grima, speaking at a press conference, described the agreement as "a significant step towards our goal of providing the best educational environment for our children". He said this investment will protect families from major fee increases, ensuring that the option for free choice in education remains with Maltese and Gozitan families.

The agreement, which covers the period until 2029, provides substantial financial assistance to independent schools and limits annual fee increases to between 6% and 12%. This measure will particularly benefit families paying for independent schools by preventing significant additional costs.

Furthermore, the agreement includes a one-time allowance of €1,000 for each educator and an additional €1,000 allowance for primary school educators. It also covers all arrears due under the Sectoral Agreement, retroactive from January 2023. Additionally, there will be a substantial increase in per capita funding for independent schools over the next five years.

Also present at the press conference were Dr. Mateja Farrugia, Annemarie Carabott, Charlene Bonnici, Sue Midolo, and Adrian Coppini, representatives of the Independent Schools Association, who expressed their appreciation for the support provided.