Our Education is not a bargaining tool !
So a new year has started and as I mentioned in my previous post this conflict between the MUT the UMASA and the government. Yesterday the KSU ( University Students Council) called a press conference yesterday which I attended in which they expressed their disapproval of the situation and called a rally and debate to be held at the University on Wednesday.
Education is a human right and is in my opinion the most important aspect of youth life both the MUT and UMASA are using our education as a threat of strike in order to get a pay rise and a ridiculous one too . University students are currently studying for their February exams however there are doubts that these exams may not even take place and that assignments will not be corrected causing all sorts of damage for students degrees and for foreign students . As regards Junior College we have not received any assessment marks and if this conflict continues there might not be any end of year exams ! Now many people are pointing their fingers at diverse parties but in my opinion every single party involved the MUT , the UMASA and the Government. Education should not be used as a bargaining tool and the main interest of a union like MUT should be the education of the students and not a ridiculous raise like what they are demanding. Quite frankly I am also quite angry at the Government led by the party which I have supported all my life seem to be nothing about this situation expect a press release . During election time I attended almost every mass meeting and under the tent activities and in it The Prime Minister always referred to youngsters and University students . I wish that the government would try and fix the situation with these unions and I wish that the MUT and UMASA would realize the damage being done to us students.
Finally I would like to hit out at all the people ( yes timesofmalta.com bloggers) who are saying that this rally is being too soft on the government since it is being organized by the KSU and since the KSU = SDM then SDM= PN . First of all let me make one thing clear SDM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE NATIONALIST PARTY . Second of all this rally is being done with the support of all the other student organisations such as Pulse , Insite , KSJC and others. And finally during the press conference KSU president Roberta Avelino cleary said ' The government needs to start practising with it preaches in order to achieve it's goals for the '2015 vision'.
It is incredible that in a dire time like this for students people are still arguing about petty politics. Grow up please !
Anyway I encourage all students to attend Wednesday's rally.
See you next week
Luke Mizzi
This is an issue which must be resolved tomorrow. Our exams are supposed to start Jan 17th. If UMASA and the Government do not come to an agreement by then, and as proposed, our exams get postponed, that means double the exam number in June. It means no last revision lecture for those exams which we should be sitting for now. In my opinion, students and lecturers should be working together to resolve this issue, for a better education. I encourage University students to attend the rally and debates being held on campus quad tomorrow from 10am. Lectures are being canceled at both UoM and JC between 10-12. For constant uopdates on the situation I also encourage all to visit www.insiteronline.com
ReplyDeleteKeep up the interesting blogs. bpirotta