Opposition education spokesman Joe Cassar yesterday lashed out at the government for going ahead with the legal notice authorising the collection of data on students from educational institutions on request.

Even though it had been reported last week that the Education Minister had been willing to discuss the issue with the Opposition, nothing had been mentioned so far, Dr Cassar said.

“I have met him several times this past week but the matter was never raised,” he said at a press conference. Last week, the Opposition filed a motion in Parliament, calling for the legal notice to be revoked, which will be discussed tomorrow.

“We are still going ahead with this,” he said.

When asked what would happen if the motion was turned down, Dr Cassar said the Opposition would still continue fighting.

“We will always remain all out against it and fight for the rights of individuals to be protected,” he said.

However, he hoped that a government MP would “surprise the people” by coming out against the notice during tomorrow’s debate.

The legal notice allows the minister to request data from educational institutions to be used for research purposes and provide for adequate advice to be given on students’ employment prospects and training.

However, Dr Cassar argued that the legal notice did not specify what research was going to be carried out and that “is why we are worried”.

Research never called for personal identification, he added.

Nationalist MPs Claudette Buttiġieg and Paula Mifsud Bonnici both pointed out that the Data Protection Act was there to protect the identity and rights of people – including minors.

“Children don’t belong to the State but to their parents, who have to give their consent for their children to be photographed if there is an official visit at the school, for example, and how that photo will be used,” Ms Buttiġieġ said.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the government “seems to have forgotten” about the law that made a clear distinction between what is personal data and how it could be used.

“This legal notice gives the government absolute power to the minister – there is no safeguard whatsoever,” she said.

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