Labour government would strengthen stipends system

@ Jonathan Agius. If I was Mike Tyson's son, which thank God I'm not, but always if, and I keep criticizing of his debt (DEFICIT) I ASSURE YOU I WOULDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING OR PROMISE ANYTHING TO MY CHILDREN.

The PN introduced the Stipends system: "As a result, with the "refoundation" of the University of Malta in 1987 after the election of the center-right Nationalist Party, the student-worker sponsorship system was dropped and a stipend introduced for all students. Students were no longer required to find employer-sponsors, or to work--the argument being that studying itself was work. Constantly drawing on comparisons between high rates of university attendance in Europe and relatively low ones in Malta, the government justified the new stipend system in terms of its potential to attract young people to postsecondary studies." Ronald G. Sultana

Scaremongering works,keep it up Guys as it is surely working for us,55% at the last count and still rising.

@Louis Muscat: Immagine you are Mike Tyson's son. You think you are going to be rich but what your father left you was huge amounts of debt to pay.

Do not ask me, but ask the students.

@J Busuttil To strengthen is to give strength and one can do that in a hundred different ways. Stop your worry Joe or maybe you are just trying to get others worried.

Another nail in Muscat's Coffin on my part. I think i am going to end up voting for Mr Lowell.

Heard this some ten years ago, and the stipends were strenghtened in the form of a bank loan.

@ Giov De Martino Did Alfred Sant go back on his word?

@M. Buhagiar The way things are going , your forcast may be most likely shorter then 4 years! Just wait and see. I was a party activist ,and in my locality had incited in favour of Gonzi's candidature for the party leadership. To-day I regret it .

Muscat is promising so many things if elected. We heard the same song before, but then we were told about the "hofra" and goodby to all the promises.

These are all lies ,stipends will have to be phased out ,whoever wins the next election,That`s only right if you want to go to university pay for it yourself like they do in the UK. Why should a labourer`s tax be used to churn out human rights lawyers and other useless courses that the university run. The money saved and the tuition fees can be used to bring in better staff and equipment.

In the MLP's (now PL) "Pjan ghal Bidu gdid" - a 648 page pre-2008 election proposals book - one only finds a very short sentence concerning stipends i.e. that "post-secondary stipends will remain" (page 182 Sect. 14.5). One therefore must ask Dr Muscat to elaborate on his "strengthening of the stipends' system" unless, as in many other so called proposals (???), the PL is shooting from the hip and has nothing tangible to offer. Students should be proud to form part of the Facebook group "Yes to stipends, No to Labour" in view of the uncertain way PL is recently addressing this issue. On the 19 October on Dissett, Alfred Sant said that we are spending less on actual education than other countries and suggested a debate on the revision of the stipends' system. Dr Muscat's appointed advisor, Marisa Micallef Leyson, in a letter published on the 29 September criticised the Government for "financing students with four times as much money as the Government gave to single mothers". And now, Dr Muscat declares that "a Labour Government would strengthen the stipends' system". Dr Muscat, please enlighten us!!!!! No loan suggestions please!!!

@M.Buhagiar that what MLP used to say in last election and they failed !!!! haha

Muscat jinkwietana?? L-inqas xejn. Il-habel hadu u issa jigri bih. By default iva, jista jsir prim ministru ta' Malta. imma by default. u dik tghallem hafna. Jigifieri ghax in-nies ikunu ddejqu issa b'20 sena ta' Gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti. 20 sena tafx, mhux sentejn jew hamsa jew ghaxra. U issa wasal iz-zmien li ghat-tajjeb jew ghall-hazin, issir il-bidla mehtiega ghall-pajjiz. Mhux bil-fors se mmorru ahjar u l-inqas ifisser li ser immorru ghall-aghar. Pero' Malta m'ghandhiex opposizzjoni denja lil tkun gvern alternattiv u allura fil-mankanza ta' alternattiva governattiva , iva l-Lejber jista jkun fil-Gvern by default. Din verita sagrosanta u kulhadd jafha din anke l-Prim Ministru attwali jafha u anke l-PN jaf li llum jew ghada irid iwarrab mill-poter biex jinvigora ruhu mill-oppozizzjoni.

KEMM QED JINKWETAKOM MUSCAT eh??? The more you try the more you fail and the more you strengthen Dr.Muscat!! Truth is that in four years time he will be THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER!! Do you want to bet??

Labour's stipends:October 5th 1977: Students protest near PM's office...20 medical students chain themselves.....All the chained students are arrested and taken to Police HQ...scuffles with police who beat uo Stefan Frendo....Frendo hospitalised suffering from concussion..Paul Gerada is beaten up and flown to the UK for tests....some of the students are taken to hospital for medication, Frendo and another student collapse and have to be taken to the casuality dept from the Black Maria....U kemm hi twila l-lista.

@Mario camilleri Yes you are correct but the PN improved the benefits. University for EVERYONE, arranged the 1996/97 stipends fiasco as amended by the MLP (Long story), Children allowance for all children and so on.

Joseph Muscat has turned into a bombastic Father Christmas with no credibility.

Here we go again.... Leaflets leaflets where have you been? I haven't seen you for the past 13 (years). I still have my 1996 MLP leaflet somewhere in my Uni boxes.,,, Maybe next time......

If the stipends are not important for the LP, why was the LP who introduced them in the first place? we all know that all the social benefits that exist in our country, be it pensions, be it children allowance, sickness benefits, leave on full pay, june and december bonuses, unemployment benefits, sick leave benefits, were all introduced by the MLP in government. so stop twisting facts and please dont try to re write history!!!

well done dr muscat this is an answer to the stupid group on facebook "yes to stipends no to labour"

Labour government would strengthen stipends system !! WOW. Dear Student's are you to swallow this ? Joking Sure not ! The mlp when was in gov't, did cut stipends and sent students to borrow for their education and this is The Truth. nice try Dr Muscat, but Once Bitten Twice Shy !! Our students will not fall for misleading words. Under the mlp they never were important, and they will not be now ! @ R. Caruana (10 minutes ago) strengthen : as far as everybody knows to date is, Students beaten up while a Peace Protest and so on...

Its so easy to promise everything to everyone when in oppostion, but if the past is a mirror of the future then we know what to expect from Labour

Even Dr. Sant had promised something similar.

Dottor Muscat please explain what 'strenghten' means. Be bold and speak clearly.

attention please. First they say that they want to strenghten the stipends system and then.....when they are in government, they do exactly the contrary. Just ask
Evarist Bartolo, or Dr Sant, and then you will see the truth. This is Labour as usual.

@ R Caruana et al Please note that : It was the PL that FIRST INTRODUCED student allowances. Many pn supporters do NOT even know this. It was the PN that DECREASED the stipends.

Grazzi Joseph!