If ever a confirmation was needed of our elite students’ lack of interest in anything important other than what they can get out of the system, it was amply given during the past week.

In the first instance, a local TV station broadcast a programme from campus during which students were asked to give their opinion on the budget. “Budget? What budget?” some of these young people almost asked.

Most of them had no opinion to give and showed a total lack of interest in what was happening around them.

Others were so tongue-tied that the person interviewing them was embarrassed on their behalf.

The second confirmation of this total absenteeism of students from reality manifested itself by the poor attendance for the debate organised by the Students’ Council about the Services Directive. A photo on the back page (TMID, 3 November, reproduced) shows that there were almost as many people sitting on the panel as there were people sitting in the audience.

Are our university students simply concerned only with big daddy government not giving them enough pocket money to fill in their cars’ tanks with expensive fuel to enable them to go to Lm20 a head parties?

Get a life, students!

There is a world out there that needs to be changed and changed for the better. Get involved and show that the education that you are getting out of the taxes that ordinary people pay will, one day, enable you to lead this country. Look at your colleagues abroad. See the statements they make. Their demonstrations. Their involvement.

And remember: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

Manuel Zammit

San Gwann