KSU has on Wednesday met with the Prime Minister, Dolores Cristina, Minister for Education and Parliamentary Assistant Franco Debono to discuss various proposals and ideas KSU has put forward.

Amongst the issues discussed there was a Quality Assurance Agency where the importance of this becoming a reality in Malta was stressed by KSU. Such an agency would ensure that education of the highest standards possible for all students studying in Malta. A report compiled by KSU earlier this year about Quality Assurance at the University of Malta was presented to the Prime Minister and the Hon. Cristina and they were informed of the findings that this had produced, where students said that they were happy with some of the changes that had occurred post the new collective agreement but still felt that there were areas where further improvement could happen.

Another report presented by KSU was that on the new Higher Education Act. KSU was told that its proposals and recommendations would be taken into consideration and that it would be consulted when action was to be taken in this regard.

The temporary suspension of the EU funds in the case of the Youth in Action and Lifelong Learning Programmes was also mentioned, where KSU was reassured that the number of students still awaiting a reply as to whether they shall be allowed to go Erasmus are less than a hundred at this point in time. The Hon. Cristina said that the students still awaiting a reply are those who shall be going on Erasmus in the second semester of the academic year. She confirmed that those going during the first semester have been settled accordingly. During this week KSU has received a letter of reply to the document that had been sent to Commissioner Vassiliou that was endorsed by all student organisations and student representatives and a number of other youth organisations.  KSU is informed that the Commission is ‘cooperating actively with Maltese authorities’ in order to resume normal operations as soon as possible.

KSU shall thus continue to meet up with further key players of education in Malta, for the furthering of the interests of the students studying at the University of Malta.