Studenti Graffitti is concerned about the current socio-economic realities suffered by many low-income families in Malta. This comes after the announcement that Junior College will start offering 4-year-long courses to give students a better chance of balancing their studies and providing for their families.

Flexi Programmes are an important addition for studies as they allow students to study at their own pace. However, we must highlight the problematic reasoning behind this new style of course

The fact that Junior College is aware that 16-year-olds are working to make ends meet shows that there is a critical systemic issue. We emphasise that what is being offered cannot be a solution. Without any action to change our economic system, the situation will continue to worsen for students as well as the entirety of the working class.

The present economic system has led to numerous teenagers being discouraged from pursuing tertiary education due to their financial condition. The provision of this course will not solve the deeper systemic problems which resulted in 16- to 18-year-olds becoming their families’ breadwinners.

In fact, the NSO has reported that a fifth of persons under the age of 18 are at risk of poverty in Malta. While they work hard to survive and make ends meet, the richest continue to exploit their precarious situation by providing low wages, long working hours, and inadequate working conditions.

We emphasise that this course should not be seen as a solution to the destitution of certain families who need their child’s contribution to survive, while failing to address the serious issues of poverty faced by numerous families in Malta resulting from the capitalist system.

Every student should be encouraged to follow their academic aspirations full-time, if they wish to do so, without having to worry about their own or their family’s financial situation. The root cause of this issue can be solved only by bettering the conditions of the working class as a whole. It is solely by fighting for higher wages to keep up with the cost of living, better working conditions, and providing everyone the right to affordable housing that we can begin to tackle this interconnected issue.

While we would like to see the government consider more financial support for working students by further raising the stipend amount and increasing allowable weekly working hours, we emphasise that this is still not enough. We strongly encourage every working student to discuss with one another, organise, unionise and stand up for their rights, as this is the only way that the working class can have power over those who exploit them.

Studenti Graffitti jinsab imħasseb dwar ir-realtajiet soċjoekonomiċi attwali li qed jesperjenzaw ħafna familji bi dħul baxx f’Malta. Dan wara l-aħbar li l-Junior College se jibda joffri korsijiet ta’ 4 snin biex l-istudenti jingħataw ċans aħjar biex jibbilanċjaw l-istudji tagħhom u jipprovdu għall-familji tagħhom.

Programmi tal-istudju flessibli huma żieda importanti għall-istudji peress li jippermettu lill-istudenti jistudjaw bil-pass tagħhom. Madankollu, irridu nenfasizzaw ir-raġunament problematiku wara dan l-istil ġdid ta’ kors. Il-fatt li l-Junior College hu konxju li żgħażagħ taż 16-il sena qed jaħdmu biex ilaħħqu mal-ħajja juri li hemm problema sistematika. Nenfasizzaw li dak li qed jiġi offrut ma jistax ikun is-soluzzjoni. Mingħajr ebda azzjoni biex tinbidel is-sistema ekonomika tagħna, is-sitwazzjoni se tkompli tiggrava kemm għall-istudenti kif ukoll għall-klassi tal-ħaddiema kollha.

Is-sistema ekonomika preżenti tiskoraġġixxi bosta adoloxxenti milli jsegwu edukazzjoni terzjarja minħabba l-kundizzjoni finanzjarja tagħhom. L-għażla ta’ dan il-kors mhux se jsolvi l-problemi sistemiċi iktar profondi li wasslu biex żgħażagħ ta’ bejn is-16 u t-18-il sena saru l-persuni ewlenin li jipprovdu għall-familji tagħhom.

Filfatt, l-NSO irraportat li f’Malta, wieħed minn kull ħamsa tal-persuni taħt it-18-il sena jinsab f’riskju ta’ faqar. Filwaqt li dawn jaħdmu qatigħ biex jgħixu u jlaħħqu mal-ħajja, dawk l-iktar sinjuri jkomplu jisfruttaw is-sitwazzjoni prekarja tagħhom billi jipprovdu pagi baxxi, sigħat twal tax-xogħol, u kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol inadegwati.

Nenfasizzaw li dan il-kors m’għandux jitqies bħala soluzzjoni għad-destituzzjoni ta’ ċerti familji li għandhom bżonn il-kontribut ta’ wliedhom biex jgħixu, filwaqt li jonqsu milli jindirizzaw il-kwistjonijiet serji ta’ faqar li jiffaċċjaw bosta familji f’Malta li jirriżultaw mis-sistema kapitalista.

Kull student għandu jiġi mħeġġeġ isegwi l-aspirazzjonijiet akkademiċi tiegħu full-time, jekk jixtieq jagħmel dan, mingħajr ma jkollu għalfejn jinkwieta dwar is-sitwazzjoni finanzjarja tiegħu jew tal-familja tiegħu. Il-kawża ewlenija ta’ din il-kwistjoni tista’ tissolva biss billi jittejbu l-kundizzjonijiet tal-klassi tal-ħaddiema kollha kemm hi. Huwa biss billi niġġieldu għal pagi ogħla li jlaħħqu mal-għoli tal-ħajja, kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol aħjar u d-dritt għal akkomodazzjoni affordabbli li nistgħu nibdew nindirizzaw din il-kwistjoni interkonnessa.

Filwaqt li nixtiequ naraw lill-gvern jikkunsidra aktar appoġġ finanzjarju għall-istudenti li jaħdmu billi jkompli jgħolli l-ammont tal-istipendju u jżid is-sigħat tax-xogħol permessi fil-ġimgħa, nenfasizzaw li dan mhux biżżejjed. Inħeġġu bis-sħiħ lill-istudenti li jaħdmu biex jiddiskutu ma’ xulxin, jorganizzaw, jingħaqdu u jiġġieldu għad-drittijiet tagħhom, għax dan huwa l-uniku mod kif il-klassi tal-ħaddiema jista’ jkollha s-setgħa fuq min jisfruttaha.