‘What A Joke’: Maltese Sixth Form Student Distraught As Post-Sec Reopening Ignored Again
A sixth form student has called out the health authorities for ignoring the reopening of post-secondary educational institutions yet again in its latest easing of COVID-19 measures.
Sean Azzopardi questioned why language schools will be allowed to reopen on 1st June but no date has been given for the reopening of sixth forms, which have been completely online for several months.
“What a joke,” he wrote on social media. “So tourists can go to school, but your own youths cannot – explain your reasoning.”
“The thing is you can’t. Same ages – so your excuse of transmission has lost all validity. We’re sorry that our education is not profitable for you.”
“We’re sorry that we are insignificant for your economic vision. We’re sorry that we are irrelevant for your greed and ambition. One month may seem insignificant to you, but it is a month of memories, laughter, and friendships we can never get back.”
Three sixth form student councils, those of St Aloysius, De La Salle and St Martin’s, recently urged the authorities to reopen post-secondary institutions as soon as possible, warning that the current system of pure online lessons is leaving its toll on students’ educational, psychological and social wellbeing.
An online petition has also been launched, stating that now the COVID-19 situation has calmed down, sixth form students shouldn’t be left as the main victims of the restrictions.
“The authorities have repeatedly insisted on the importance of education to students and that ideally, it should be physical,” the petition reads.
“We, therefore, believe that post-secondary students who wish to go back to school should also have the chance to do so. We believe that we should not be sacrificed because of the irresponsible behaviour of other sectors and industries.”
“Why are shops, which you yourselves described as non-essential, bars, restaurants, summer schools and language schools, childcare centres, etc allowed to open while post-secondary schools, which are essential, have had to remain closed?”
“A month can make a whole difference. Education is a fundamental right for primary, secondary, and language schools, just as much as it is for post-secondary schools. As you have listened and answered others’ struggles, please listen to ours. We are tired of being unseen, unheard, and unrepresented.”
Should Malta reopen sixth forms?
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