Updated: MCAST students stage protest

(Adds students' council's comments)

Many students attending the various institutes of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, protested against a situation they found themselves in because of an industrial dispute between their lecturers and the Malta Union of Teachers.

In fact the students are caught in the middle, bearing consequences of union directives to lecturers in a dispute between the college administration after no progress was made in talks over the new collective agreement.

The union had already called a two-hour strike last Wednesday after it deemed the agreement as proposed by the college as unacceptable.

Lecturers at the Malta College for Art, Science and Technology have been directed not to perform any duties apart from delivering lectures as from Tuesday.

Karl Carabott, a student from the Mechanical Engineering Institute and Paul McAlister, from the Information Communications Technology Institute, who were outside the college with other students during yesterday protest, said the students’ main grievances were three. They said that no new assignments are being given to students explaining that these assignments for these students are a means to test their performance during the year. Students queries in connection with the assignments are not being answered, they said.

Another grievance resulting from the union directives is that lecturers are not correcting assignments that have been completed,with chances being that they have to attend school for a longer period than expected and that results and diplomas are issued very late.

The students added that no attendance record is being taken with the consequence that students are taking attendance casually. Students who fail to attend for 20 per cent of the overall school time are severely disciplined.

Many students went in front of the Mcast administration building at in Corradino instead of attending lectures to protest against the situation while other students attended the lectures.

There are some nine institutes within the MCAST. Some students from the Building, Construction and Engineering Institute of Naxxar also joined the protest at Corradino. No incidents were reported.

Students said at one point they were addressed by representatives of the college administration who assured them that they would not suffer consequences.

McCalister said it is in the interest of the students that the pending issues between the MCAST and the union are resolved. “ We do not want to have to attend the college longer without received our stipends because of the dispute,” Mr McCalister said.

Students also complained that the students’ council does not appear to have taken a stand over the issue.

But Phoebe Ann Beddington a member of the Students Council, said though she could not speak on behelf of the council, she would rebut claims that the council was inactive over this issue. She believed that the situation was unfair for students students because they have been caught in the middle of a dispute at an delicate stage of their course.

The MCAST Student Council in a reaction to the above report said this evening:

"An agreement was reached between the MCAST Student Council President, Cladonia Scerri, and the MCAST Principal Profs. Maurice Grech on Thursday morning that MCAST would be responsible for the correct and timely issue of any certification effected by the strike.

"The attendance had to be done either on the students’ initiative or at the administration office of each Institute such that the 80% attendance requirement is respected.

"The MCAST Student Council encourages all students to first and foremost attend all lectures since the lecturers are still delivering all lectures, and the first right and duty of each student is to attend and participate fully.

"Though stipends are an important aspect in the situation that developed, the MCAST Student Council believes that the most important aspects resulting from the industrial dispute are not being taken into consideration. Aspects such as, the duty of the lecturing staff towards the students. Another aspect not taken much in consideration was clarified further up whereby the MCAST Administration assured the students through the MCAST Student Council that the correct and timely issue of any certifications would not be affected by the strike.

"The MCAST Student Council is sure that any responsible authority or organisation with enough ethical values will not impede or make it difficult to any student attending an educational system, like MCAST, to lose his or her certification over issues outside the students’ reach.

"The MCAST Student Council would like to appeal to all lecturing staff who through the year showed their commitment and assistance to each and every student, that in this time of importance for each student in harvesting the fruits of a year (or more) of studies, not to resolve their pending matters with MCAST by negatively effecting the students progress and certification."