Christian Peregin
University rector proposes pay-back or tax-cut options
University Lecturer Juanito Camilleri addressing students at the opening of the scholastic year. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.
Students should be given the choice to either pay back their stipend once they graduated or benefit from tax cuts instead of receiving their monthly €84 grant, University rector Juanito Camilleri proposed.
"Some students may feel they do not really need a stipend and may prefer to benefit from lower taxation once they graduate," he said.
However, those who opt to receive a stipend should commit to pay it back in small instalments once they are financially sound to do so.
He stressed that stipends were a privilege not a right and should be revised to send out that message.
He warned that if the number of students in tertiary education doubled, as was being projected, it would be next to impossible to sustain stipends in their present form. "Stipends should only be available to those who feel they cannot afford to pursue their studies otherwise," he said.
His comments come after The Times published the results of a student survey carried out by the campus newspaper The Insiter, which found that one in 10 students were willing to have their stipend removed. Although the survey had a small sample of 130, it was still an interesting shift from the usual "don't-touch-my-stipends" attitude by students.
According to a spokesman of the University Students' Council, the survey revealed that some students were starting to realise their pocket money could be better used if it is invested in quality education.
Under the rector's proposal, students who do not need their stipend should be able to donate it to a University Trust Fund for development, research and innovation and, in return, they would get tax credits once they graduate. This is a proposal Prof. Camilleri had made in 2006.
"This would bring the University of Malta in line with universities in the USA, the UK and many other developed countries in the world," he said.
This means that the new system would not require means-testing, so the burden to decide which students require stipends will not be placed on the authorities; the evaluation will be made by the students themselves.
"I am proposing that we challenge our youth to make important personal choices with a sense of civic responsibility. I believe that such choices will strengthen their moral fibre," Prof. Camilleri said.
He said the system would also engage students more fully in their educational process and would encourage them to rightfully expect better quality all round.
"The current form of stipends is siphoning off money which may otherwise be invested in the delivery of better quality education."
But whenever politicians tried to discuss the stipends issue they were met with a chorus of disapproval. Hasn't the issue become too politicised and taboo to even be discussed?
"Yes, it has become too politicised but that does not mean that it will never change. If reasoned and practical alternatives are brought forward I believe new ways can be forged," Prof. Camilleri replied.
He insisted also that, if executed properly, the revisions would not negatively affect student intake, echoing a number of reports that have argued in the same way.
He stressed that stipends should not be used to influence a students' choice of subject because the job market could do that itself. "That said, it is also true that students of certain disciplines incur much higher costs than others to sustain their education. So not all stipends for all disciplines should be equal," he concluded.
The stipends issue came to the fore recently after a European Commission report blamed them for delivering less than satisfactory outcomes while increasing public spending.
The Education Ministry defended the grants and said the government was committed to the maintenance grants issue even though the National Commission for Higher Education is reviewing the system.
The University Students' Council has issued a report calling for "quality over quantity" and for the government to focus on "quality education rather than just stipends and buildings".
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Jonathan Camilleri
Apr 25th, 06:28
Well it is a reasonable idea...if I can afford living without a stipend, I can do away with it!
Aaron Bugeja
Feb 28th 2009, 12:12
L-istipendju huwa investiment, jien naqbel mal- Prim Dr. Gonzi. xi hsibtuh lil Gvern taghne li ha jerga jmur lura minn kliemu. Araw dan il-filmat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR3irKqZ1Og&feature=related
jane borg
Feb 28th 2009, 11:57
WHAT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WOULD PAY students to become professionals at the tax payer's expense?
attention J Attard
there does exist a direct bus route to University, does your daughter know about it?
Jonathan Camilleri
Apr 25th, 06:29
It's a country which sees the value of education in advance, Ms Borg!
JANE BORG
Feb 28th 2009, 11:44
SOME STUDENTS DO NEED THE STIPEND
OTHERS DON'T
WHY NOT DO A MEANS TEST.
THAT WOULD BE JUST.
Jonathan Camilleri
Apr 25th, 06:30
The means test is not always just in my opinion but it is a reasonable idea.
Marion Pace
Feb 27th 2009, 21:32
Please note that the stipends do not only include University Students if they stop then they are stopped even for all post secondary students. I am very sorry that they are using Prof Juanito Camilleri as the guinea pig to pave the way.
Jimmy Attard
Feb 27th 2009, 19:29
Well done indeed if the stipends go!!!!!!!!. Do they know that the stipend of my daughter goes only for the cost of 4 buses daily to commute to/from the University from the South of Malta? Do they know that the stipend of my daughter does not go for pocket money as I have to fork that myself? X'jonqos aktar. High electricity bills, increase in car licences/insurances, gholi tal- hajja. Well the MEP elections are round the corner and some people need a trashing at the polls maybe to wake up.!!!!!!
G Camilleri
Feb 27th 2009, 18:51
Donnu beda jberraq bl-ikrah fuq l-istipendji. Zewg artikli in fila fuqhom, xejn ma jippromettu tajjeb. Issa dil-proposta hareg biha ir-Rettur. Jien nixtieq pero l-Prim Ministru jesprimi l-opinjoni tijaw. Sena ilu ma stahax jidher quddiem l-istudenti u jejdilhom kif jahsiba hu. Issa ha naraw jekk jisthix u jergax jigi jejdilna jekk iridux jew le l-istipendju. Ghadom investiment jew le? Ghal min nesa ahjar jerga jiftakar xi diskos li kien intqal..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR3irKqZ1Og&feature=related
David Zarb
Feb 27th 2009, 18:46
Whilst Profs Camilleri is right... however we must all remember the outcry which was shown in streets when Labour introduced a PARTLY pay back of stipends. Manuel Delia and his PN band, all crying. And where is David Herrera now? He cried so much when he made all Univ students a property of his own "I turn to MY students and tell them, no, don't vote labour because we all remember what labour did in 96-98 when a payback was asked for" Did he read this article now? Where are you David Herrera? Don't you feel like doing a mass protest? SHAME ON YOU.
John Cauchi
Feb 27th 2009, 16:53
What most people fail to understand is that not all university courses are the same, and some courses are far more intense than others, thus leaving less time for work opportunities during the year. I have tried to work along with study during my years in university, and I must say it is next to impossible. Summer work doesn't do justice, since all the money one earns during summer usually go to paying back petrol during the rest of the year (considering we have a hopeless bus transport system... in Marsascala we don't even have a direct bus service to university as do other localities, except at 7.30 am). Remember, in foreign universities students live on campus, and thus don't have travelling expenses. I can assure anyone here that at least 2/3 of my stipends goes on transport expenses, and not much more than that! Thus either leave the stipend, give more time to students to work, or else simply make public transport free, reliable and cheaper for students.
James Sultana
Feb 27th 2009, 15:40
Considering how long this article has been online it is somewhat surprising that the usual group of "spin doctors of the instructed kind", such as the Martinellis, Caruana Galizias and the rest have not yet justified the rectors idea ... who knows - maybe they are still waiting for the "how to answer email" from the foreign based strategist to tell them what to do. In any case, the students shouldn`t worry - they have Gonzi`s backing after their "spontaneous" show of faith in the pre-election gathering... and should he by any chance forget about it or about the promise (which after all is only one like the many others who were already ignored or twisted to suit post last election) they can always rely on mummy`s boy to very simply tell him in the elitist way he was home-educated with to "leave the stipends alone and simply F-OFF" ... he surely knows how to do it !!!! Vote Gonzi - Get Freddie ??
G. Scerri
Feb 27th 2009, 15:03
This needed to be said, and who better than the Rector to say it? Stipends are not rights, but a means of enabling Malta to have the professional people it needs. Once a student graduates, it is only fair that he pays back to the citizen the money he was loaned. What's wrong with that? Soft repayments should see that nobody suffers. If nothing else, such a move ought to focus the minds of the students and convince them that it is in their interest to do well. This would be far better than an invisible tax credit.
V Fenech
Feb 27th 2009, 14:50
We would say "kemm konna ahjar meta konna aghar" after the June elections...
At least when it was a Labour Government, students had to pay half of it...now it is being proposed to pay it ALL back! Where are the Gonzi blue-murder screams? Cannot he intervene so that students would not be alarmed?
KSU? Any Herrera's?
J Farrugia
Feb 27th 2009, 14:22
Haw haw ...we're paving the way to suggest to the government to do away with the stipends so that the professors will have their hefty salary increases. I told you so during the industrial action by UMASA and MUT. The university doesnt have from where to pay the increase in the profs salaries. So let's nibble at the student stipends. To those students who wanted their stipend to go for this purpose (1 out of 10 out of 130 students) May I suggest to them to give THEIR stipends not to the Profs but to their fellow students who would aprciate it much more that the lousy and lazy professors and lecturers. I told you so.
marcello savona
Feb 27th 2009, 13:36
yes I agree, but they have to be 0% loans for it to be viable, because if it is a loan with an interest rate, than what is point....
Marion Pace
Feb 27th 2009, 13:35
Where is Mr. Herrera now? Is it ok to touch stipends now, or two weights two measures?
Will the 90% students who do not agree with the stipends reform chain themselves to Castille gates in protest?
N.aquilina
Feb 27th 2009, 12:43
If this plan does happen, I expect all University students to protest like they did when a labour govt. tried to introduce more or less the same system. Let us see if the future doctors/lawyers/leaders etc. of Malta will put aside their political agenda and passion and protest for their rights like they claimed they were doing during a labour govt. I will wait and see :)
J. Cassar
Feb 27th 2009, 12:42
Flimkien kollox possibli......issa li l-elezzjoni ghaddiet.......il gvern jista' jaghmel kollox, anke jekk dan ma kienx fil-manifest elettorali.
Fejnhom il KSU ? Sa jiprotestaw halli juru d-dizapprovazzjoni ta dak li qed jigi suggerit? Jew peress li dan il porposta ma saritx mil-PL ma jimpurtax...
Grazzi Profs J. Camilleri tas-suggerimenti li qed taghmel , fi kleim iehor iz-zieda fil-pagi tal-lecturers sa jhallsu ghalihom l-istudenti.......Flimkien kollox possibli....
R Sammut
Feb 27th 2009, 12:27
Does this mean that Alfred Sant was a man before his time?!!
He had increased W&E rates ...idea shot down ... now the PN did exactly that..
Now the stipends issue.. Labour had proposed a scheme of soft loans...Now the university rector is proposing nearly the same!!!
Joe Cassar
Feb 27th 2009, 12:26
Come back Alfred Sant - all is forgiven!
albert leone ganado
Feb 27th 2009, 11:08
The former education minister varist bartolo had introduced a fair and sustainable student funding system based on loans which scheme in many variants is common to european countries and the US.
Rather than see the benefits of such a system and possibly improve it, with a change of administration it was scotched I suspect because of its presumed MLP parentage. A general stipends system was reintroduced . A recent report of the EU should be an eyeopener on the dubious value of a stipend system available to all.
If we want money directed where it will truly benefit and improve the quality of higher education, we should in agreement with both political parties develop a sustainable student funding system based on loans.