The legal notice authorising the Education Minister to request data on students from educational institutions would create massive problems and was highly objectionable to the Opposition, the Nationalist Party’s education spokesman Joe Cassar said this morning.

Addressing a news conference, he said that even though a motion filed by the Opposition to repeal the motion was up for debate on Monday, the Education Minister had so far not discussed the matter with the Opposition even though several meetings to discuss other issued had been held. It was even reported that the minister was ready to discuss the issue.

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The legal notice gives the Education Minister the right to ask for “a legally valid identification document number” and data relating to “age, sex, ability, educational attainments and other data of the persons to whom they relate as appear to the minister to be necessary to be used for research purposes and to provide for adequate advice to be given on employment prospects and to prepare plans for their training pursuant to the provisions of the (Employment and Training Services) Act”.

The Education Ministry is arguing that the data referred to in the notice would be crucial in the implementation of employment and educational policies.

Dr Cassar said that one did not need to identify persons for research purposes.

He said that the Opposition was all out against the motion and would make sure that its voice was heard and that the individual rights of citizens were protected.

This government, he said, had the tendency to roll over everyone but in several instances, especially with the citizenship scheme, it had to reverse its position several times. He hope that on Monday someone from government side would surprise the people and come out against motion.

Spokeswoman Claudette Buttigieg said children belonged to parents and not the state and the parents’ consent should always be required including for the taking of photographs during school visits.

PN president Paula Mifsud Bonnici pointed out that according to the Data Protection Act data could only be processed with the consent of an adult or a parent in the case of a minor. The legal notice was, however, giving the minister absolute power without any safeguards.