MCAST students again demand an end to academic limbo, raise concerns about continued deadlock

As the academic year progresses and it's almost the end of the first semester, MCAST students remain in limbo, confused and distressed as ever as the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and the government have yet to finalise a collective agreement, a stat

By: independent.com.mt

Jan 06 2025
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A student-led petition calling for urgent action to resolve this ongoing crisis has garnered 916 signatures to date, with less than 5 days remaining to reach the target of 1,000 signatures before its closure on 10th January 2025.

"This petition, titled 'End the Academic Limbo,' has become a rallying point for student advocacy, achieving key milestones since its launch in November. These include: Parliamentary discussions initiated by the petition; Direct engagement with government and opposition officials, including a meeting with the Shadow Minister of Education; Mobilising 350+ students in a campus demonstration on 27th November; A joint protest by students and lecturers outside the Ministry of Education in December," the statement read.

"The current directives continue to hinder academic life, including assignment submissions, examinations, and access to out-of-classroom support. With over 9,500 full-time students enrolled at MCAST in according to the most recent study made in 2023- hence this is affecting thousands of students and lecturers."

"As students, we are not asking for special treatment. We are simply demanding the right to complete our education. This deadlock is denying us our basic academic responsibilities," said Ayrton Cassar, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student.

"The government ceased discussions with the MUT until the directives are lifted however the directives were already lifted twice before on the promise that the agreement will be signed." It said that the MUT also went on to refute some of the claims during the protest interview in December as well on their official website.

"Around a week ago, Marco Bonnici, President of the MUT, was interviewed by Times of Malta. In the interview, he stated: 'We're telling the government, come speak to us, let us solve the issue together. We have a good prospect to conclude (discussions) at the start of the new year. Let's do it.' While this statement highlights the union's willingness to resolve the situation, it has raised questions among students about the continuation of the directives. However, it is important to acknowledge that the MUT has suspended directives twice in the past on the understanding that progress would be made, only to face further delays. This understandably makes the union cautious about suspending them again, as maintaining their leverage is crucial to securing a fair agreement for lecturers. Students recognize the complexity of these negotiations and the importance of MUT's efforts. Nevertheless, the prolonged impasse continues to affect their academic progress and future, leaving many hoping for a swift resolution," the statement read.

"Students are now afraid that the mid-yearly exams will not be held, this flies in the face of the precedent that MCAST held prior to the directives being issued. Previous students completed two exam sessions in a single academic year. However, students now are facing a disadvantage as they will have to sit for semester-based exams at the end of the year. These full-year exams will be weighted at 100%, compared to the usual 60% combined with assignments. A 60% exam typically lasts 3 hours and covers only 2 out of 4 criteria. This leaves two options: either longer exams to cover all criteria, which is already challenging, or shorter exams with simplified assessments, failing to fully test students and resulting in lower-quality graduates. As students we are caught in the crossfire of two parties unwilling to falter, both of which, we are sure there are valid reasons for their unwillingness to budge, however, given that the situation has been drawn on for this long, it is directly undermining the quality of education we are receiving, not only tarnishing MCAST's name but also the validity of our degrees. Moving forward we students continue to urge immediate negotiations between MUT and the government to lift the directives."