5th October – Students’ Day

Today may not mean much to some of the readers.

To others it means a lot. In particular it is Student’s Day.

Student’s Day commemorates the day when the students stood up in protest in 1977. I was there.  A second year student in the then Faculty of Engineering and Architecture

It was 1977 when Medical Students had their lecturers locked out as a result of the trade dispute between MAM, the medical doctors’ union,  and Government.  With their lecturers locked out students could not attend lectures.

Chained to the railing at Auberge de Castille, the students carried placards stating “I want to study in Malta”.

Early in the afternoon of the 5th October the Students’ Council Annual General Meeting at University suspended its session and those present proceeded to Valletta in full support of the Medical Students. Almost immediately a substantial number of police from their Floriana HQ caught up with us students and chased us all the way from Valletta to University. Some were manhandled and beaten.

It was the beginning of a very long and sad story, a very difficult time for tertiary education.

The Labour Government led by Dom Mintoff commenced substantial changes to the tertiary educational setup. Labour devised a “one size fits all” student worker scheme based on government’s requirements in state hospitals. Six months study were to be followed by six months work with some holidays and examinations sandwiched in between.

The work experience, if properly planned was beneficial. But unfortunately it was not as students ended up as part of the ordinary workforce with insufficient time to dedicate to their studies. Various submisions were made to government to change the system, but Labour would not listen.

The university student population at that time was around 400. A substantial contrast to the current 10,000+ population.

It was Labour’s darkest hour in tertiary education.

originally published in di-ve.com on 5 October 2012

5 t’Ottubru 1977 – Jum l-Istudent

 

Għada il-5 t’Ottubru għalija hu marbut mal-ġrajjiet ta’ nhar il-5 t’Ottubru 1977.

Dakinhar l-istudenti tal-Mediċina minħabba t-tilwima tat-tobba mal-Gvern kienu ffaċċjati bl-Iskola Medika magħluqa. Dan kien ifisser studju wieqaf.

L-istudenti tal-Mediċina intrabtu mar-railing tal-Berġa ta’ Kastilja u waqt li kienet għaddejja il-laqgħa ġenerali tal-Kunsill tal-Istudenti konna infurmati b’dan u numru mhux żgħir ta’ studenti dħalna l-Belt nagħtuhom appoġġ. Jien kont hemm.

Dakinnhar jiena kont student għadni nibda t-tieni sena fil-kors tal-arkitettura.

Ftit wara li wasalna Kastilja waslu ukoll il-Pulizija li bdew iferxuna u baqgħu jiġru warajna sal-Universita.

Kienu żmienijiet diffiċli għall-edukazzjoni terzjarja. Konna numru żgħir ta’ studenti, b’mod partikolari meta tqabblu mal-eluf li hemm illum fl-Univerista’.Il-Gvern ta’ Mintoff dakinnhar kien ħolom bl-iskema student ħaddiem li bil-mod kif imħaddma kissret l-edukazzjoni Univeristarja b’effetti li damu jinħassu għal snin twal.

L-iżball fundamentali kien li ttrattaw lil kulħadd l-istess : sitt xhur xogħol sitt xhur studju Skema li kienet imfassla prinċipalment fuq il-ħtiġjiet li kellu l-Gvern fl-isptar fejn ma kellux tobba biżżejjed għajr dawk (prinċipalment) ta’ nazzjonalita’ barranin li daħlu jaħdmu flok dawk li ħarġu bi strajk. L-istudenti li sadakinhar kienu jduru s-swali tal-isptar mal-professuri biex jitgħallmu mill-każijiet li kienu għall-kura issa kienu ta’ għajnuna  biex jimlew il-vojt li kien hemm fl-isptar.

U bħalma għamlu l-istudenti tal-mediċina kella nagħmlu aħna l-istudenti tal-arkitettura fid-Dipartiment tax-Xogħolijiet. Xi ħaga titgħallem. Imma sitt xhur straight sena wara l-oħra kienu ħela ta’ ħin. U l–Gvern tal-Labour ma kienx interessat li jisma’.      

Ma nafx jekk semgħux dawn it-tip ta’ kummenti tal-Labour huma u jeżaminaw l-istorja tal-Partit fi tmiem il-ġimgħa li għaddiet.

Din hi waħda mit-tbajja’ fl-istorja tal-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern.