Students are being requested to take part in rallies being held on Wednesday at the University and the Junior College in protest at how the government and the University of Malta Academic Staff Association have been dealing with the issue over lecturers’ pay.

The rallies are being organised by the University Students’ Council. The council is calling on the government to start practising what it preaches and invest in education.

It is also asking lecturers to stop their intimidation tactics. Some, it was pointed out in a news conference this morning, were asking students to back them up. Students, the KSU said, should be provided with all the information so that they would be able to make up their own minds. Moreover, they could not be used as a bargaining tool.

The actions being taken by lecturers would have repercussions on students including those who were appealing decisions at the senate since they would have to wait longer to decide on their future. Moreover, both local and foreign students, were losing out and the latter might have to return home without any certification to prove their work.

The KSU, which is being backed by other student bodies, urged students to sign an online petition “Our education is not a bargaining tool” at www.ksu.org.mt.

Other student bodies are backing the KSU in their actions.

The Studenti Demokristjani Maltin said in a statement that while it acknowledged the urgency with which this situation should have long been settled in the interests of all parties concerned and taking into account the fact that the unions have failed to lift their directive which prevents the January examinations from taking place, it fully supported KSU.

SDM hoped that common sense would prevail and that a just solution would be found to the situation.