‘I Couldn’t Do My Online Assignments Until MCAST Lent Me A Computer And Showed Their Support’
A Maltese student has expressed her gratitude after being given the support needed to be able to finish her online assignments as students suddenly find themselves having to study and complete their work from home.
Alexandra* studies at MCAST, and with quite a few home-based assignments on her schedule, she was left anxious once COVID-19 hit Malta – after all, she didn’t have a computer at home.
As her lessons got cancelled, all she could think was: ‘how am I going to get my work done now?’ Living on her own without a laptop or desktop and without familial support, she couldn’t believe it when MCAST reached out to her to see if she needed help.
“I was worried I couldn’t do my assignments because of the coronavirus, I couldn’t even go to my friend’s house and use their computer like I sometimes would before, Alexandra told Lovin Malta.
And she’s not the only one – just this week, Education Minister Owen Bonnici announced he would be donating a month’s worth of his salary to give up to 250 vulnerable students the support they needed, including desktops and even free internet, to continue their studies from home.
After MCAST asked Alexandra to get back to them if she needed help, she sent her details.
“A few days later they called me and said they’d be coming tomorrow to install,” she said thankfully, before signing a contract to loan the computer for two months.
With a desktop installed in her house featuring Google Chrome and Microsoft Word, she could finally rest assured that her assignments were going to be handed in on time.
“I’m more relieved and have a peace of mind now, I can do my assignments when I want,” she beamed. “It was very helpful from their side, I honestly didn’t expect it, I thought I would have to ask for tons of extensions and end up repeating the year.”
A desktop computer loaned to a Maltese student
Owen Bonnici welcomed the positive result from the educational institution, saying it was our “duty to show solidarity with one another, particularly those in our society who are in particular difficulties”.
“Once schools closed their doors and most educational services went online it was crucial to ascertain that those who, for some reason or other are in a situation where they do not have access to a computer or internet are helped as much as possible,” he told Lovin Malta.
If you are a student studying from home due to the current pandemic and do not have the means to continue your study, contact your school’s administration or the Education Ministry to find out how they can help you complete your studies.
Names have been changed for their protection*
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