[WATCH] Education minister defends subsidising private education

Education minister Clifton Grima has defended government’s decision to fork out €27 million in subsidies that will prevent significant increases for independent school fees.

On Tuesday, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between government and the Independent Schools Association (ISA) that will affect 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.

On Thursday, MaltaToday asked the education minister to explain the reasoning behind subsidising independent education. Grima explained that the agreement between government and the ISA was reached within the context of government signing an unprecedented collective agreement with public educators.

The improvements in public educators’ financial package then resulted in private educators expecting similar increases.

“When I met with the ISA, it was clear that in the best case scenario there would be increases of more than 24%, and there was also the danger of some schools closing down,” Grima said.

The education minister further noted that the subsidies were aimed at preventing the likelihood of students who are forced to switch over to public schools in the middle of their educational journey.

Grima also clarified that the subsidies are not the first instance of government stepping in to help those whose children are enrolled in private education, adding that government will always ensure that the best resources will be given to the public education sector.

The education minister was quizzed on whether subsidising private education is truly the action of a socialist government.

Grima responded by saying that the argument for such subsidies revolves around ensuring peace of mind for students and preventing disruptions in students’ education.

He noted that those who send their children to private schools are not always very wealthy, adding that government wants to protect the choice of workers who choose private education for their children.