PN raises alarm over ‘unacceptable’ heat during MATSEC resits

The Nationalist Party has raised concerns over the conditions faced by students sitting for their MATSEC resit examinations, following reports that some have been forced to take their exams in unbearable heat due to a lack of air conditioning.

The PN said that, over the past few days, several students and exam invigilators have complained about the conditions in which resit examinations are being held during the peak of summer.

It added that a number of parents have also reported that their children are facing the same conditions.

Describing the situation as "unacceptable," the party called on the government to draw up a clear and urgent plan to ensure that schools are equipped with adequate cooling and ventilation systems, particularly during heatwaves and examination periods.

It also proposed installing photovoltaic panels on school rooftops to generate electricity that could help power air-conditioning systems in classrooms.

“Students are sitting for examinations that may be decisive for their future, and they have the right to do so in a safe and dignified environment,” the PN said.

“We cannot speak about improving the quality of education when even the most basic conditions are not being guaranteed.”

The party also underlined the need for greater investment in school infrastructure, saying this should not only take the form of new projects but also include continuous preventive maintenance of existing buildings.

It said quality in education does not begin with slogans, but with providing students and educators with the environment they deserve.

“If we truly want to make a leap forward in quality, we must first ensure that the foundations are sound,” the party said.

“It is evident that major shortcomings still remain in those foundations, including in the most basic of areas.”

The PN concluded by saying it would continue listening to students, parents, and educators in order to develop concrete solutions aimed at ensuring schools provide a safe and dignified learning environment.

Students fainting during MATSEC resit exams, SDM says

Student organisation Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM) has further highlighted the conditions students are facing during their MATSEC examinations, saying some have reportedly fainted in classrooms due to the heat.

Other students have reported feeling physically unwell and having to leave the examination room simply to cool down, while some have attempted to switch seats during exams in search of a cooler place to sit.

“The ability to concentrate is fundamental to performing in an examination,” SDM said. “When students are sweating, feeling physically unwell, distracted by the heat, or struggling to remain in the room for several hours, they are not being given the conditions necessary to fairly demonstrate the work they have put in.”

SDM noted that the September examination session already places an additional burden on students, as it predominantly consists of resits. Students already facing the pressure of repeating an examination, it said, should not also have to contend with unsuitable classroom conditions.

However, the organisation stressed that excessive heat in classrooms is not a new problem, saying concerns have persisted throughout the summer.

It pointed to similar conditions during SkolaSajf, where a large number of schools have experienced rising classroom temperatures due to inadequate air conditioning and, in some cases, an insufficient number of fans.

SDM said the situation has affected both children attending summer school, who are required to spend hours in such conditions, and the young people working there, many of whom are students themselves.

It concluded by insisting that adequate cooling in schools must be treated as a basic requirement rather than a luxury, and that schools must provide conditions in which people can learn, work and perform without excessive heat becoming an additional obstacle.