Shadow education minister Joe Cassar said that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Education Minister Evarist Bartolo imposed a new tax on students when they hid the introduction of higher fees for students willing to undergo Matsec and Sec examinations.
Speaking during a news conference held this morning outside the Matsec offices at the University of Malta, along with new PN candidate Justin Schembri, Dr Cassar said that while the PN understands that the examinations infrastructure or rather system needs to be sustained somehow, Dr Muscat should have never decided to sustain such an infrastructure by turning to families of students.
He said that Dr Muscat did not have any problem to sustain the positions of many individuals close to Labour but seems to have found difficulty in sustaining the examinations of students, which are so important for students to further their studies.
Dr Cassar said that the worst thing of all is that he did so without even telling anyone or consulting with anybody, including the Opposition.
He also highlighted that Dr Bartolo should have tabled a social impact assessment before introducing these new taxes to see how it would hit families who cannot afford to pay higher fees for their children.
Dr Cassar said that some families would have to fork out around €140 to undergo Matsec and Sec examinations.
For instance, he explained that a student willing to conduct a Matsec exam could very well end up paying €70 extra whereas a student who decides to conduct 10 Ordinary level examinations would have to pay an extra €73.
Mr Schembri said that as a result of these new fees, some students could end up deciding not to conduct certain examinations they feel they can do without. "This is exactly the message which has been conveyed by the Labour Party in government to students," he said.
Photo: Jonathan Borg
Table shows increase in Matsec exam prices
|
Level
|
OLD (€)
|
NEW (€)
|
difference (€)
|
Practical paper
|
AM
|
6.99
|
20.00
|
13.01
|
|
IM
|
0.00
|
20.00
|
20.00
|
|
SEC
|
0.00
|
10.00
|
10.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registration fee
|
SEC, IM, AM
|
11.65
|
15.00
|
3.35
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exam fee
|
SEC
|
13.98
|
21.00
|
7.02
|
|
IM
|
18.63
|
25.00
|
6.37
|
|
AM
|
20.96
|
28.00
|
7.04
|
|
|
|
|
|
Late application fee
|
late fee
|
46.59
|
70.00
|
23.41
|
|
very late, by subject (up to 4)
|
23.29
|
35.00
|
11.71
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reprint of result slip
|
5.00
|
10.00
|
5.00
|
Replacement of certificate
|
11.65
|
20.00
|
8.35
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional fee in a foreign country
|
0.00
|
50.00
|
50.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revision of paper
|
SEC
|
34.94
|
35.00
|
0.06
|
|
IM
|
34.94
|
40.00
|
5.06
|
|
AM
|
34.94
|
45.00
|
10.06
|
Comparison of fee for sitting for the MATSEC certificate (two Advanced levels and four intermediates) considering a MC without practicals and if MC includes Chemistry and Biology at Advanced level and so the practical fee has to be paid:
|
OLD (€)
|
NEW (€)
|
diff. (€)
|
MATSEC Certificate (2 AM + 4 IM)
|
128.09
|
171.00
|
42.91
|
MATSEC Certificate (2 AM are Chem & Biol)
|
142.07
|
211.00
|
68.93
|
Comparison of fee for sitting for six, eight and ten SEC level subjects, assuming that none of the subject has a practical component as otherwise an extra fee of € 10 per subject with practical has to be paid.
|
OLD (€)
|
NEW (€)
|
diff. (€)
|
6 SEC levels
|
95.53
|
141.00
|
45.47
|
8 SEC levels
|
123.49
|
183.00
|
59.51
|
10 SEC levels
|
151.45
|
225.00
|
73.55
|
Government reacts
The government said in a statement this evening that the Matsec’s financial situation deteriorated in the last three years with debts amounting to €402,500 due to a system which was not sustainable any longer.
This, the government said, could not go on for longer without the situation being addressed, especially when Matsec is facing new developments in its system.
“One has to also point out that Sec exams are an alternative to BTEC exams, which cost around €130, and now students who chose these subjects will be saving a lot of money when they apply, since they would be paying €21 for each exam, a decrease of €109.
“The expenses of the exams include covering the costs of those individuals setting the exam papers, invigilators, and those correcting the papers.
“Social cases will continue to benefit from financial assistance, and it won’t be of a financial burden for them, since exams will be free of charge, opposed to the past where a fee had to be incurred anyhow,” the government added.