Title

Demand Immediate Action on MCAST Crisis: End the Academic Limbo for Students and Educators

Date

07-11-2024

Date petition closes for signatures

10-01-2025

Creator of petition

AYRTON CASSAR

Grievance

Since May of the last scholastic year, MCAST students and educators have been trapped in an ongoing crisis due to unresolved issues surrounding the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) directives. This has led to severe disruptions in our education, including withheld grades, cancelled exams, and now, the inability for lecturers to release assignment briefs due to lack of verification. For students, this means critical coursework and projects are delayed or potentially cancelled, leaving us with no clarity on our academic standing and risking invalid degrees if administrative passes are enforced. This situation not only jeopardizes our hard work and future employability but also undermines the credibility of MCAST degrees and warrants that so many students rely on for their careers.

We have now reached a breaking point. As we head deeper into the semester, the accumulation of delayed assignments, combined with the added pressure of thesis work for final-year students, is creating unbearable stress. Our lecturers are not to blame; they are simply advocating for fair treatment and just compensation. The root cause is the lack of government action, which has left both educators and students in a state of chaos and uncertainty.

Wherefore I/we respectfully request the House of Representatives to

We, the undersigned, urgently call on the Maltese Parliament to intervene in this matter and push for a resolution between MCAST, the Ministry of Education, and the MUT. We demand:

1. Immediate release of assignment briefs and academic materials to students.


2. An end to administrative passes, ensuring valid, recognized degrees.


3. Government accountability and decisive action to finalize the Collective Agreement, ensuring that our educators are treated fairly and that students’ education is not sacrificed.

Closing remarks

This issue affects hundreds of students whose futures are hanging in the balance. We cannot afford any more delays, nor can we accept that our hard work will be wasted due to bureaucratic failures. We call on the Parliament to take urgent action to protect the integrity of MCAST’s academic programs and to safeguard the futures of Maltese students. Please stand with us in our fight for a fair, functional, and respected education system.