Cap. 607 Art. 3Establishment of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority. Cap. 327.

(1) The National Commission for Further and Higher

Education established by means of the Education Act is being re-

established and incorporated in this Act as the Malta Further and

Higher Education Authority, hereinafter referred to as "the Authority", to seek to promote and develop further and higher education in Malta by means of regulation and by the promotion of best practices, and the Authority shall assume all the assets and liabilities, rights and obligations previously vested in the National Commission for Further and Higher Education.

(2) The Authority shall endeavour to achieve the following objectives and policies:

(a) licence and regulate further and higher education providers in Malta;

(b) promote and uphold quality education; and

(c) advise the Government on any matter which is connected with further and higher education.

(3) The Authority shall generally regulate, guide, evaluate, verify, research and report on the various elements, including the experience and the outcomes or results of the education system with the aim of assuring quality education for all and in order to promote good practices in all activities related to further and higher education. In particular the Authority shall:

(a) accredit education providers, and their programmes;

(b) act as the competent authority for granting of a licence to further and higher educational entities accredited by the Quality Assurance Committee established by virtue of article 17, and, or by any other agency registered with the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education and, or by any other agency as may be prescribed, provided that such agency has, in its accreditation, adhered to the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area;

(c) renew, refuse, suspend or revoke licences, and establish the conditions under which a licence may be granted, renewed, refused, suspended or revoked and the fees which may be payable in each case;

(d) validate any learning provided in an informal or non-formal manner and classify the evaluation at a level in accordance with the Malta Qualifications Framework;

(e) prescribe the fees to be paid in respect of the issue, validation, renewal, extension or variation of any certificate, licence, statement, external quality audit or other document or the undergoing of any examination or test required by this Act or any regulations, directive or order made thereunder and in respect of any other matters in respect of which it appears to the Authority to be expedient for the purpose of the Act, regulations, directive or order to charge fees;

(f) regulate the manner and conditions for the issue, validation, renewal, extension or variation of any certificate, licence or other document required by this Act or any regulations, directive or order made thereunder, and as to the form, custody, production, cancellation, suspension, endorsement and surrender of any such document;

(g) appoint its officers or employees to supervise the implementation of and, where necessary, to enforce this Act or any regulations made thereunder or deemed to be made thereunder or other laws relating to education;

(h) review qualifications for the purposes of recognition and pegging to the Malta Qualifications Framework;

(i) request information for the purpose of research and statistics;

(j) compile and keep up-to-date records of such data as it may deem appropriate in connection with its functions;

(k) by means of regulations, establish and impose tariffs, fees and administrative penalties;

(l) prohibit, control and regulate the presence of any persons in determined establishments on grounds of safety and security;

(m) carry out or give effect to any international treaty or other international agreements relating to education to which the Government is or intends to become a party; and

(n) carry on such business and other activities, do all such things and enter into all such transactions as appear to the Authority to be necessary, convenient or advantageous for it to carry on or perform or enter into, for or in connection with the discharge of its functions, or as appear to the Authority to be incidental or conducive thereto.