Resolved - University to remedy mistakes in transcripts of awards

Resolved - University to remedy mistakes in transcripts of awards

Published August 19, 2025

The complaint

On 1 June 2025, a teacher at a Church-run school lodged a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against the University of Malta (UOM). She alleged that the University was unjustly refusing to recognise her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), awarded in December 2013, as an MQF Level 7 qualification. Instead, the UOM maintained it was an MQF Level 6 award.

The complaint arose after the Secretariat for Catholic Education requested the complainant to confirm the MQF level of her qualification. Under the 1991 Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Malta, employees in Church schools are entitled to the same pay scales as their state school counterparts. A new collective agreement for public service employees, effective 1 January 2025, grants a qualification allowance to those holding MQF Level 7 or higher qualifications.

Facts and findings

The transcript issued to the complainant in 2013 described her PGCE as a “second cycle” qualification pegged at MQF Level 7, reinforced by references to it as a ‘degree’ and diagrams clearly showing it at that level. However, the study unit codes indicated undergraduate-level content.

Upon investigation, the UOM admitted that between 2010 and 2013, it had mistakenly classified the PGCE as a second-cycle qualification. The error stemmed from the course title containing the term “Postgraduate” and the fact that applicants were required to hold a Bachelor’s degree. This misclassification was corrected in 2014, but no attempt was made to inform those who had received incorrect transcripts, including the complainant, of the error.

The University explained that granting an MQF Level 7 status now would create an unfair advantage over other cohorts and could result in unjustified enrichment. The Commissioner for Education agreed, noting that ‘correcting’ the classification ex post facto would amount to compounding the original error.

In response to the Ombudsman’s enquiries, the University confirmed plans to address the situation for approximately 400 affected graduates. From October 2026, the Faculty of Education is considering offering, after approval by the necessary accreditation procedures as established by the University,  a “top-up” course leading to either a Postgraduate Diploma or a Master’s degree, depending on whether a dissertation is completed. This programme will be offered as a series of micro-credentials to allow flexible study, with exemptions granted for experienced teachers under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Conclusions and recommendations

The Commissioner for Education, Chief Justice Emeritus Vincent De Gaetano, acknowledged that the UOM’s original misclassification of the PGCE between 2010 and 2013 was a serious error. However, he accepted that reclassifying the qualification to MQF Level 7 retrospectively would be inappropriate.

The Commissioner welcomed the University’s plan to offer a top-up course as an appropriate remedy for those affected. He further suggested that any individual who had received an incorrect transcript and opts to follow the top-up programme in October 2026 should be exempt from University tuition fees.

This case is being published in accordance with Article 29(2) of the Ombudsman Act.