Muscat’s decision on Zonqor prejudices commission’s accreditation – MEP

Shadow education minister Therese Comodini Cachia has expressed her concern that Joseph Muscat’s decision to retain the American University of Malta’s location at Zonqor, overrides the process for the national commission for higher education to vet the educational institution.

“The accreditation of AUM application is supposedly still under NCFHE scrutiny, which leads the Opposition to the logical question: ‘When Muscat is certain that AUM will be developed than what use is NCFHE’s process?’”

The MEP accused the government of having no qualms at doing away with checks and balances on tertiary education, required to certify the AUM.

Comodini Cachia reaffirmed her disagreement on the ‘national interest’ clause introduced in legal notice 150 for the licensing of university institutions.

“The Nationalist Party deplores the bulldozer attitude by ‘premier’ Muscat and education minister Evarist Bartolo in deciding on such a controversial application before given the green light by the competent authority, which further confirms that independent authorities and the government are today one and the same thing,” she said.

Comodini Cachia called upon NCFHE chairman Martin Scicluna to clarify whether any decision has indeed been taken on the application which led to Muscat’s unconditional statement that part the university will be located at Zonqor.

“Consequently, in the absence of any decision by NCFHE on the AUM University, the Opposition is seriously concerned with the Government manipulation of such authority which like others has become a puppet in its hands and calls upon Premier Muscat for a clear and unequivocal explanation,” Comodini Cachia said.

“In the eventuality of a decision on the sanctioning of the AUM application, the Opposition is even further dismayed by the fact that such an important decision, which attracted considerable interest by the media, academics and students, was not even deemed worth communicating; leading therefore to the Nationalist Party to, once again, call on Premier Muscat to publish the agreement with Sadeen Group and the sanction letter by NCFHE granting formal AUM accreditation to operate as University; because the people deserve to know.”