News • 29 December 2002

Students: self-confident or confused?

62.5 per cent of graduands will vote ‘YES’ but 61.3 per cent believe in ‘viable alternative’

By a staff reporter

Tal-Qroqq - Has the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji opened a new window onto the political compass of university students? Or has its EU survey shown as much ideological depth as the collective of graduands could have mustered?

The survey, commissioned by the Malta-EU Information Centre and the KSU, featured the answers of 233 females and 167 males who were interviewed for the study, the majority aged between 18 to 20 years (50.3%). Other age groups included the 24-26 age group (7.3%) and those over 27 years of age (18%).

The majority of students interviewed were first year students (38.3%). 8.3 per cent of the students were following courses in Laws, Medicine and Surgery, Architecture and Theology.

The choice of the next generation

The question ‘How would you vote if the referendum were to be held tomorrow?’ in fact delivered a much expected result in that an unhesitant 62.5 per cent confirmed their decision to vote YES for Europe. Only 6.5 per cent categorically stated that they would vote against joining.

Despite having revealed similarly unsurprising facts to the extent that a massive two thirds of students interviewed would vote YES for the EU, the most surprising finding has detailed an unsuspected avenue in university students’ views. According to the survey 61.3 per cent see a ‘viable alternative’ were the referendum to be lost to the NO vote.

The contrast, both contradictory and interesting, was given little or no prominence in the rest of press, but the footnoted revelation discloses a new perspective on the stereotyped university student. As far as the sample of 400 students goes, posing for an 8,000 plus University population, the EU bid is considered in prioritised terms rather than confrontational terms.

Males were more numerous in affirming that a viable option could still be available if Malta votes against the EU (68.9% males vs. 55.8% females). The highest ratings in this regard were registered among those aged 24-26 (75.9%), among students following professional courses (69.7%) and among part-time day students (72.7%).

Whilst 61.3 per cent were certain of this viable alternative, 16.5 per cent were definitely not, and 20.3 per cent were uncertain but not completely committed in favour or against. The remaining 2% did not offer an opinion on the matter.

Females mainly uncertain

A sizeable 23.5 per cent of students interviewed are however still uncertain, reflecting the similarity with other surveys which have plotted a clear majority in favour of Malta joining the EU, however with a considerable number of uncertain voters trailing behind.

Of those who were uncertain, females were relatively more numerous than males (28.3% - 16.8%). The highest level of uncertainty was registered among those aged 18 to 20 (26.9%), among first year students (26.8%) and among part-time day students (27.3%).

Strangely perhaps, among those with a clear ‘no’ view on the matter, females were almost double the number of males (20.2% females vs. 11.4% males). Those aged 27 and over registered the highest level of ‘no’ in response to this question (20.8%), as did members of all non-professional courses not in their first year of study (19.6%) and part-time evening students (22.7%).