A number of students attending the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) have not been receiving their stipend, Labour’s main spokesperson for education and culture Carmelo Abela and Labour spokesperson for youth and sport Justyne Caruana said in a statement yesterday.

The Labour MPs said they expect Education, Youth and Employment Minister Louis Galea to explain and inform the students involved about their situation, since they had been promised a stipend like the rest of MCAST students.

The concerned students have only been able to make use of the Smart Card facility, said the MPs, adding that when some students asked about the situation, they were told that the decision is in line with a legal notice issued by the ministry. This stipulates that students who would have attended another post-secondary institution the year before they joined MCAST, will not be entitled to a stipend because they are considered to be at the same educational level as they would have been during the previous year, said the MPs.

This situation requires an explanation since it involves students who went to Junior College, or the Higher Secondary to improve or increase their qualifications in order to be able to follow the course of their choice at MCAST, said Mr Abela and Dr Caruana. They asked Minister Galea to explain the situation and the measures he will be implementing in order to remedy the situation, so that it will not affect families negatively, or prejudice certain young people who would like to further their studies.