PN says exam results delay ‘a big slip-up from government’

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said the delay in publishing end-of-year results by the University of Malta and Junior College had been a “big slip-up” on government’s part, in comments to the press before holding a closed-doors meeting with members of student body KSU.

“This is something which should certainly have been avoided,” Busuttil said. “Students found themselves as the victims in a breakdown in discussions which they did not even form part of. Through no fault of their own, they were made to suffer. It was a big slip-up on government’s part.”

Busuttil said the PN had always placed education at the top of its political agenda. “Much more can be done for students,” Busuttil said, adding that the party had made no less than 70 proposals on how EU funds for the 2014-2020 period could be used. “Amongst other things, we proposed a school of arts, more investment in school equipment, life-long learning measures and the setting up of an MCAST school in Gozo. We would like students to stay in school past the post-secondary stage.”

Busuttil accused government of taking youth voters for a ride, when it proposed lowering the voting age for local councils to 16, only to propose the postponing of local elections till 2018.

“We agreed to lower the age and the vote was unanimous in favour of it. And then government chose to remove the elections which these youngsters would have gained from. It was nothing but a gimmick.”

On his part, students’ union (KSU) president Gayle Lynn Callus thanked the party for its work to promote the rights and safeguard the conditions of students. “Our concern is the well-being of students, regardless whether these are at University or elsewhere,” he said, adding that students were a diverse group, with many cultures, religions and ethnic origins. We may get elected on a yearly basis but our vision is certainly not an annual one.”

This morning, KSU also met the President of the Republic, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, and is scheduled to hold talks with the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tomorrow.

Smart card system

Busuttil refrained from commenting on government’s plan to remove student smart cards to replace it with a direct deposit into students’ accounts.

The education ministry will transfer maintenance grants directly to students’ bank account. In previous years, students were issued an electronic card with a set amount deposited in it, with the aim of helping students fund any academic expenses such as books and stationery.

The measure will save €175,000 in administrative costs and allow students to use the cash for online purchases, something previously impossible with the card.

Students’ union (KSU) president Gayle Lynn Callus called for checks and balances to be in place to monitor how students spent their grant. “Students could present receipts showing that the money was indeed spent on educational purposes,” Callus said, suggesting that a similar system had been adopted for refunds.

The General Retailers and Traders Union (GRTU) has expressed its disapproval of the scheme, which it dubbed a free-for-all. “Abolishing the smart card – and directly depositing money into the students’ accounts – would defeat the purpose of the grant in the first place,” the GRTU said.

The association said the card’s abolition lacked “any kind of dissuasion or incentive” for students to spend their grant on educational material.

The running of the system costs over €2 million, a sum that covers only the handling fee the government pays APCO Ltd, the company which organises the smart card system. It excludes salaries and costs related to human resources deployed by the government at the University of Malta and other departments to run the system.