Raucous English language students

Reading the article Language Schools Mulling Legal Action (July 17), I couldn't help but reflect on the irony of the comments of the president of the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations, Andrew Mangion.

He and his members are considering legal action against the Transport Federation for damages suffered by English language schools and their students.

The damages, apparently, could run into several thousands of euros. Further, he says that "the industry has been negatively impacted by the transport strike and, particularly, the violence". Parents, meanwhile, are concerned about their children's safety and security.

The schools, on the other hand, are concerned because they "have worked so hard to turn Malta into a major language teaching destination".

Is this all a big joke? Areas such as Sliema, where I have a home, have been "ghettoised" by these students. I and others who live in areas ripe with the overflow of foreign students wishing to learn English can see first hand the safety and security fears referred to by Mr Mangion. They do exist. However, they are not directed at students but are as a result of the students.

It is difficult to walk with one's children on the pavement due to the throngs of students blocking passage. It is difficult to sleep at night for the raucousness of drunk underage students stumbling back to their lodgings (and Mr Mangion says their parents are worried about their safety?).

It is disgraceful to go out in the morning and find broken bottles, beer cans and rubbish strewn on the streets. And, if you are lucky, you will find your car intact without a broken side-view mirror. Just for the record, I went out the other morning to find a red chair sitting on the roof of my car. Hardly normal.

As for the elderly, many of whom have lived in the same area all of their lives, well ,I can only imagine why they lock themselves in at night.

Perhaps, following Mr Mangion's suggestion, the residents of these affected areas should band together and institute legal action against the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations for damages to the property, safety and security of "hard-working Maltese citizens".

The student situation appears to be out of control and, perhaps, if those individuals who are blinded by the euro signs blocking their view, took time to really look around, they would see that the inconvenience of the transport strike pales in comparison to the damage they are afflicting on their own industry and its future by allowing their students to run rampant and out of control through the streets of some of Malta's most attractive tourist precincts.