Thousands waiting for MCAST results as Ombudsman calls for dialogue over union dispute

The Commissioner for Education has called upon both sides to the MCAST dispute to engage in open and constructive dialogue to resolve a dispute that has led to the withholding of marking exam results.

The Office of the Ombudsman and its Commissioner for Education has expressed grave concern on the situation at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) where the assessment of students and final examinations have not yet been obtained, due to an industrial dispute with union MUT.

The current situation stems from directives, issued by the Malta Union of Teachers, to withhold assessment marks, as well as a refusal to invigilate at examinations and to participate in vivas.

This has led to students, including students in their final year of studies, being left entirely in the dark as to their progression and possible further studies. Some 8,000 students are believed to have been affected in one way or another.

“The Office of the Ombudsman acknowledges the fundamental right of educators to engage in industrial action as a means to voice their legitimate grievances and to seek a fair resolution thereto. However, this should be done in a way to cause the least harm to third parties, in this case students, who also have a right to know, without undue or unnecessary delay, the result of their studies throughout the year,” the Commissioner for Education said.

“Both parties should refrain from using the students’ plight to put undue pressure. Furthermore, both parties should not display intransigence.”

A representative of MCAST’s final-year nursing graduates told MaltaToday her colleagues were unable to receive final grades, preventing them from starting their careers as nurses. “This situation is particularly unfair considering that our peers at the University of Malta can begin working immediately,” student Kylie Mercieca told MaltaToday.

“Our country is in great need of nurses, and this delay is preventing us from contributing to the healthcare system at a critical time. I have also addressed this issue with our principal, but unfortunately, nothing has been resolved.”