On the 30th of September, the Ministry for Education announced the addition of 36 courses that qualify for higher stipends. The selection of which courses qualify for this increased stipend demonstrates the Ministry’s view that our educational institution’s main goals are to churn out workers for business interests rather than to promote intellectual growth.

We believe that this initiative fails to benefit students adequately and continues to perpetuate the idea that the primary goal of education is merely to serve as a stepping stone towards employment. Furthermore, we wholly disagree with the Ministry’s assertion that a mere additional 80 euros a month will act as a significant incentive for which course future students choose to devote their time to during their student lives. Instead, these 80 euros serve to establish a hierarchy between the courses that supposedly positively benefit society, and those that supposedly do not.

The Ministry’s alliance with business interests is demonstrated openly in five of the six aims that these stipend increases were based on, those being “the assurance of economic growth in sectors of advanced manufacturing and a new economy, high quality infrastructure and the environment”, “the preparation for the employment of the future”, “the increase of human capital in STEM”, and “supplying industry with human capital possessing highly technical skills”. It is further demonstrated by the fact that the newly founded Maintenance Grant Board will include leaders of enterprise and industry.

We reject the belief that society only benefits when the national GDP grows. This is an unsustainable, naive, and fundamentally untrue belief. In our society, plagued by issues of corruption, lack of democratic principles and inequality, the Arts and Humanities are necessary for its betterment.

While a society indeed benefits from highly skilled workers, a well-functioning one needs highly skilled critics, who are capable of assessing the integrity of political decisions, democratically push for the greater good, and when necessary calling out the government and the authorities when they betray the people they represent.

The appreciation and respect for the Arts and Humanities also leads to a culture of critical thought throughout society, the promotion of creative expression, the understanding of different perspectives, and the cherishing of aesthetics, history and culture. These merits are invaluable to society, and are deserving of the adequate allocation of resources.

The formation of the “high-priority” category by the Ministry offers students enrolled in specific STEM courses €375 a month to study as a means of addressing the current teacher shortage. This approach serves as further proof of the authorities’ shortsightedness and the unviability of their strategy.

While we are in favour of the raising of stipends, this is not a solution to solving the education crisis and teacher shortage in the country. This initiative fails to address the issues that are causing people to not choose the teaching profession, and teachers to leave the profession in droves, such as an overwhelming workload, and poor mental health support.

It is also offensive to students that the Ministry assumes a monthly sum that is not even a third of what is required by a single person to live decently, would cause students to change their choice in course.

We demand the Ministry of Education stop sidelining the Arts and Humanities, and to seriously reconsider their methods of addressing the problems we have in society.

1. Moviment Graffitti
2. HoASA – The History of Art and Fine Arts Student Association
3. Betapsi
4. SPS – Students’ Philosophical Society
5. JEF Malta
6. MotivArti
7. IAESTE Malta – International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience
8. University of Malta Rowing Club
9. ALLT – Association of Linguistics and Language Technology
10. CSA – Criminology Students Association
11. SACES – Society of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students
12. USPA – University Students of Performing Arts
13. MUHS – Malta University Historical Society
14. GħMU – Għaqda tal-Malti Università
15. ESO – European Studies Organisation
16. The Third Eye
17. MIRSA- Malta International Relations Students Association
18. KŻE – Kolletiv Żgħażagħ EkoXellugin

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Solidarjetà mal-istudenti tal-Arti u l-Istudji Umanistiċi

L-organizzazzjonijiet tal-istudenti jappellaw kontra n-nuqqas ta’ rispett kontinwu lejn l-Arti u l-Istudji Umanistiċi fir-rigward tal-kwalifikazzjonijiet għal korsijiet li jgawdu minn stipendji ogħla, kif ukoll kontra l-approċċ bla ħsieb biex jissolva n-nuqqas ta’ għalliema.

Fit-30 ta’ Settembru, il-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni ħabbar li se jiġu miżjuda 36 kors li jikkwalifikaw għal stipendji ogħla. L-għażla ta’ liema korsijiet jikkwalifikaw għal din iż-żieda fl-istipendji turi li l-Ministeru huwa konvint li l-għanijiet ewlenin tal-istituzzjoni edukattiva tagħna huwa li tipproduċi ħaddiema li jservu u jaqdu l-interessi kummerċjali, aktar milli tippromwovi l-iżvilupp intellettwali.

Aħna nemmnu li din l-inizjattiva ma tibbenefikax lill-istudenti bil-mod mistenni, u tkompli tipperpetwa l-idea li l-għan primarju tal-edukazzjoni huwa sempliċiment li sservi biex twassal lill-istudenti għad-dinja tax-xogħol. Barra minn hekk, aħna ma naqblux kompletament mal-istqarrija tal-Ministeru li s-somma miżera ta’ 80 ewro addizzjonali fix-xahar se sservi bħala xi inċentiv sinifikanti li jwassal lill-istudenti jagħżlu liema kors iridu jistudjaw. Minflok, dawn it-80 ewro se jkunu qegħdin biss joħolqu ġerarkija bejn korsijiet li skont uħud għandhom benefiċċju pożittiv għas-soċjetà, u oħrajn li apparentament m’għandhomx.

L-għażla tal-Ministeru li jallinja ruħu mal-interessi kummerċjali toħroġ b’mod evidenti f’ħamsa mis-sitt għanijiet li din iż-żieda fl-istipendji kienet ibbażata fuqhom, jiġifieri “l-assigurazzjoni ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku fis-setturi tal-manifattura avvanzata u ekonomija ġdida, l-infrastruttura ta’ kwalità għolja u l-ambjent”, “it-tħejjija għall-impjiegi tal-futur”, “iż-żieda fil-kapital uman fi STEM”, u “li nipprovdu kapital uman lill-industrija li jkollu ħiliet tekniċi għoljin”. Toħroġ ukoll b’mod ċar mill-fatt li l-Bord għall-Għotjiet ta’ Manteniment li għadu kemm ġie mwaqqaf se jkun jinkludi mexxejja mill-qasam tal-intrapriżi u l-industrija.

Aħna nopponu l-idea li s-soċjetà tibbenefika biss meta jkun hemm tkabbir fil-GDP nazzjonali. Din l-idea mhijiex sostenibbli, tixhed nuqqas qawwi ta’ għarfien, u mhijiex ibbażata fuq il-verità. Fis-soċjetà tagħna, li hija mifnija bi stejjer ta’ korruzzjoni, nuqqas ta’ prinċipji demokratiċi u inugwaljanza, l-Arti u l-Istudji Umanistiċi huma essenzjali għat-tijib tas-soċjetà.

Filwaqt li huwa minnu li s-soċjetà tibbenifika meta jkollha ħaddiema b’ħiliet għoljin, soċjetà li tiffunzjona tajjeb jeħtieġ li jkollha persuni b’ħiliet ta’ kritika, li jkunu kapaċi jevalwaw l-integrità tad-deċiżjonijiet politiċi, li jirsistu għall-ġid kollettiv, u meta jkun hemm bżonn, jiġbdu l-attenzjoni lill-gvern u l-awtoritajiet meta dawn jittradixxu lill-poplu li jirrappreżentaw.

L-apprezzament u r-rispett lejn l-Arti u l-Istudji Umanistiċi jwasslu wkoll għal kultura ta’ ħsieb kritiku qalb is-soċjetà, għall-promozzjoni ta’ espressjoni kreattiva, għall-fehim ta’ perspettivi differenti, u għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-estetika, l-istorja u l-kultura. Dawn il-merti huma imprezzabbli għas-soċjetà, u jistħoqqilhom jiġu allokati r-riżorsi x-xierqa.

Il-ħolqien tal-kategorija ta’ “prijorità għolja” mill-Ministeru joffri lill-istudenti rreġistrati f’korsijiet speċifiċi ta’ STEM €375 fix-xahar biex jistudjaw bħala mod kif jiġi indirizzat n-nuqqas attwali ta’ għalliema. Dan l-approċċ jixhed biss in-nuqqas ta’ ħsieb u ta’ ppjanar fit-tul u n-nuqqas ta’ vijabilità tal-istrateġija tagħhom.

Filwaqt li aħna favur li jkun hemm żieda fl-istipendji, din mhijiex soluzzjoni adegwata biex insolvu l-kriżi fl-edukazzjoni u n-nuqqas ta’ għalliema f’pajjiżna. L-inizjattiva tonqos milli tindirizza l-problemi li qed iwasslu biex l-istudenti ma jagħżlux il-professjoni tat-tagħlim, u lil numru kbir ta’ għalliema biex jabbundunaw il-professjoni tagħom, bħal pereżempju ammont esaġerat ta’ xogħol, u appoġġ fqir għas-saħħa mentali.

Huwa wkoll ta’ offiża għall-istudenti li l-Ministeru bħal donnu jaħseb li somma ta’ flus fix-xahar, li lanqas tammonta għal terz tal-ammont li persuna waħedha teħtieġ biex tgħix ħajja diċenti, se twassal lill-istudenti biex ibiddlu r-rotta tagħhom u jagħżlu kors differenti.

Aħna nitolbu lill-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni biex ma jkomplix jagħti bis-sieq lill-Arti u l-Istudji Umanistiċi, u biex serjament jerġa’ jikkunsidra l-metodi meħtieġa biex jiġu indirizzati l-problemi li għandna fis-soċjetà tagħna.

1. Moviment Graffitti
2. HoASA – The History of Art and Fine Arts Student Association
3. Betapsi
4. SPS – Students’ Philosophical Society
5. JEF Malta
6. MotivArti
7. IAESTE Malta – International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience
8. University of Malta Rowing Club
9. ALLT – Association of Linguistics and Language Technology
10. CSA – Criminology Students Association
11. SACES – Society of Architecture and Civil Engineering Students
12. USPA – University Students of Performing Arts
13. MUHS – Malta University Historical Society
14. GħMU – Għaqda tal-Malti Università
15. ESO – European Studies Organisation
16. The Third Eye
17. MIRSA- Malta International Relations Students Association
18. KŻE – Kolletiv Żgħażagħ EkoXellugin