SWITCH to KSU

The team of 12 students under the name SWITCH, with the motto "Close to you", won last week's elections for the executive of the Students' Representative Council (KSU). SWITCH does not form a new association, nor is the group a coalition of a number of organisations.

The group claims to be a coalition of students with a number of experiences and ideas. It believes that the student should be given more opportunities to integrate and enjoy life at University. SWITCH has stated that KSU ought to wield more influence on a national level.

The examples given are that the KSU should speak loudly on issues like the Departure Tax and the Education Act. The Departure Tax is extremely important since we have only one University in Malta. Many academics and students who specialise in a particular area have little chance to discuss their expertise unless they attend conferences and meet other colleagues abroad.

The work resources and student travel grants fund do not take into consideration the increase in the Departure Tax. On the contrary, the availability of funds has fallen, to accommodate colleagues from the Junior College. The KSU is therefore taking the right step to start working to obtain a concession on the departure tax when travelling is carried out for educational purposes.

Another aspect that is going to keep the incoming KSU executive very busy in the next few months is the Education Act. The present Education Act, which put major changes into action, came into effect about 20 years ago.

If the Education Act currently being drafted is to last for a further 20 years, it is better that it should be a good one. It is good to see that the composition of the new Education Act is high on the KSU agenda. The new KSU executive, having now taken over student representation in a democratic manner, albeit after an unprecedented aggressive campaign, must now put their programme into action.

It is unfortunate that the two unions representing the academics, the MUT and UMASA, are disagreeing on who should represent the academic staff. The KSU must realise that the unsolved issues facing the academic staff, such as the collective agreement that is long overdue and the delayed promotions, are frustrating the academic body.

Unless the academics can remove these mundane matters from their daily worry and concentrate on an intellectual agenda, the students will be the ones to suffer in the long run. The new KSU would do well to get the MUT and UMASA closer together as quickly as possible to reach an agreement to pull the same rope and act as fast as possible.

The KSU could act as a moderator between the two unions and may also join forces with the academic unions by offering its support and co-operation so that the academic staff are given their due without unnecessary hassle and delay.

The SWITCH team comes from nine different faculties. SWITCH candidates have all been part of student organisations, with five members of the team currently presidents of their associations. This augurs well for an active and fruitful student representation.

The KSU executive is expected not only to work for the benefit of the students but also to participate in working for the good of all citizens.

Watering the poisonous plant

Professor Edward Mallia is in the habit every now and then of using his wisdom, of which he is very proud, to pass all kinds of petty adjectives on others, such as "serpent" and "poison" (The Sunday Times, April 9). The learned Professor Oliver Friggieri giving us part of his wisdom some time ago stated that 'No flowers grow in Parliament'.

Another professor, who was also a parliamentarian, replied that at least if parliament does not grow flowers it does not seem to grow poisonous plants, which are sometimes found on campus. We are not stating that the honourable professor was referring to Edward Mallia.

The astute professor himself definitely does not feel so. Mallia rather feels he is the Tree of Wisdom on Campus. In the circumstances we let the poisonous plant grow. We accept that poisonous plants on rare occasions provide some useful medicine.

However, although we are not reputable for our wisdom, according to the judgment passed on by Mallia, we decide not to water the poisonous plant.