Students should not be victims of industrial action

Prime Minister Robert Abela, speaking on the ongoing industrial dispute between MCAST and MUT, said students should never become victims of the strike.

The Prime Minister met with MCAST students at Parliament House in Valletta on Monday.

“As I have said many times, it is unfair to students for them to be the victims of a strike, especially when there is a will and proposal from both sides,” Abela said in a brief Facebook post.

The strike ordered by Mursi University of Technology has been going on for more than a month, as students have been receiving poor test scores.

This situation has led to growing tensions between lecturers and students. The current situation stems from a directive issued by the Malta Teachers Union to withhold assessment marks and to refuse to invigilate and sit oral examinations.

This has left students, including those in their final year, in the dark about their progression and possible further study. It is believed that around 8,000 students have been affected to varying degrees.

The ongoing controversy led the Ministry of Education to remove MCAST President Joachim James Calleja from his position.

Sources said the administration decided to change the college principal to “eliminate the oppressive atmosphere” which had left students angry and lecturers frustrated.

“The government believes that changing the principal can give a new impetus to the college,” the source said.

In June 2018, Calleja was appointed President and CEO of the Malta Academy of Arts, Science and Technology.