Government decision to subsidise private education receives mixed bag of reactions

Experts in the education sector disagree on whether government’s move to subsidise private schools is the “right decision” or whether it is a “half-baked measure.”

MaltaToday reached out to former education minister Evarist Bartolo and former head of school and ADPD education spokesperson Mario Mallia to gauge their views on a government decision to fork out €27 million in subsidies that will prevent significant increases for independent school fees.

This investment, amounting to €26,875,940, follows concerns raised by Independent Schools Association about significant increases in fees that parents with children in private schools were expected to face at the start of the upcoming school year. The increase would have been prompted by wage hikes for educators to bring them on par with improved pay packages for State and church school teachers agreed in the summer.

Education minister Clifton Grima has defended the move, saying increases of more than 24% in fees could have been expected, and there was also the danger of some schools closing down.

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.

The decision was criticised in several Labour circles for being unsocialist but former education minister Evarist Bartolo agreed with government, saying there was no alternative.

“The money is going into educators’ pockets and not the institution’s owners. It will also help private schools to give teachers the same pay package as those of church schools. It was either coming out of the state’s or parents’ pockets,” he said. “The money is not being taken away from state schools, but government has increased its budget for the sector, which is always a positive.”

He also said that faced with an exodus of students, government would have nowhere to place the students from independent schools into church and state schools.

But Mario Mallia disagreed, saying it is government’s job to ensure there is enough space for every student. “If government needs to build a school, it should build a school.”

Questioned whether he feels it is unfair to subsidise private schools, when such institutions are only accessible to those who afford it, he said “it might be, and that is why it is half-baked.”

Mallia went on to argue that government should go beyond the immediate concern and improve access to education.

“If access is limited, through religion, like in Church schools, or through money, like in private schools, it is a problem. We must open access to every child,” he said, arguing there is too much uniformity in the schooling system. “I emphasise school ethos, and the need for a bottom-up approach, not the colonial school system already in place, with the education department barking down orders and everyone has to do as they are told, but rather having schools adapt to the needs and requirements of the students.”

He proposed a model like the one in Sweden, where private schools are fully funded by the state.

“This makes them accessible to everyone, not just those who afford them,” he said.