Sixth formers aspiring to read some courses at the University have to sit for proficiency tests in Maltese and English before their A Level results are out. This means they might have taken them, and consequently, spent money, for nothing, if they do not acquire grades entitling them to tertiary education. On the same lines, the results for revision of papers tend to come out after resits would have been done, possibly making them spend even more money unnecessarily.

Explanation

The chairman of the management board of a residential home for orphaned and destitute girls made a comment, reported in the press a few days ago, which is very worrying, at best. He reportedly wrote to a person accused by residents of abusing them that her "training and extensive experience in the police force have formed her and conditioned her behaviour to date". The public certainly deserve a clear explanation of what he exactly meant because the implications are very serious and do not reflect well on the members of the Police Force!

Cats

There appears to be another flood of new stray cats in areas where there are known to be feeders. The people who take the trouble of culling the cats and kittens and placing them in these areas apparently do not have the courage to take them to sanctuaries or other places where they will be safe. Why is this? Are not all sanctuaries functioning as they ought to be?

Factory

Residents of Santa Venera and Mrieħel hope the former Malta Rubber factory will be demolished well before the Corporate Village project is started. As it is, each time there is a slight breeze, the broken apertures creak away and in high winds the noise howls through the building. Besides, it is an eyesore.

Passed

Not many people have occasion to walk along the Qormi bypass on their way to the town. If they do, they will find that the high, narrow pavement is mostly taken up by electricity pylons. Pedestrians, therefore, have to keep hopping up and down from the pavement to the road, literally a hair's breadth away from the heavy vehicles that drive along the thoroughfare. Drivers tend not to respect the continuous white line that delineates the section of the road they may use.

Smokescreen

So now we know that the consortium made up of about 200 bus drivers and owners are short-listed for the tender to run the new public transport service. One hopes this does not mean business as usual, albeit with higher fares. For starters, certain bus drivers still smoke and use mobile phones while driving and some even manage to read the newspaper while at red lights.

Palmed

The Environmental Health Directorate has seen fit to issue guidelines to fishermen with regard to the traditional use of palm fronds for the annual lampuki season. Furthermore, the directorate suggested to fishermen they collect palm fronds from a common site where cutting is controlled, such as the Environmental Landscape Consortium premises in Attard and the approved Afforestation Section site in Gozo. Why not make things easier for all concerned and simply say there are enough palm fronds for everyone from the two mustering centres?

Incredible

The beautiful dual-carriageway Karwija Road to and from Safi has been arbitrarily, unceremoniously and permanently closed to accommodate the new technical hangar. This has happened before the opening of the planned alternative, meandering route - through the military barracks and the detention centre - which is due to open at the beginning of next year. This is forcing residents and visitors to take a longer way into and out of the village, via Kirkop or Żurrieq. Moreover, the main street to enter Safi was recently declared a one-way road by the local council, forcing commuters to drive through various outlying streets to get to the village centre.

Appreciation

The Breast Clinic at Mater Dei Hospital deserves to be highly commended for its caring and very efficient staff. Doctors and nurses there truly deserve recognition for their priceless, sterling work and for offering reassurance to worried patients.

Treatments

Much remains to be done to destroy the stigma suffered by people who have problems with mental health. Children, for instance, do not always get the empathy they deserve from society on the premise that it is "impossible" for the young to have this kind of problem. It is this mentality, in fact, which often holds adults back from asking for help for the young ones. This, too, is a type of poverty.

Paperwork

Yet again, this column has to point out the crass lack of social awareness of those who seek to make extra money by delivering pamphlets and flyers to households. It should be obvious that when the previous catalogues have not been removed, new ones will not be either. If they are, at a later point, they will be outdated anyway. As it is, they serve to advertise the fact that a house is not being lived in as well as dirtying the environment if they are simply dumped on front porches from where they can be blown into the streets.

Language

The type of Maltese language used by certain broadcasters seems to go from bad to worse. When they cannot recall a term, or a word, they either invent new ones, adapt something from a foreign language or say it in whichever language comes to mind. This is a disgrace.