15 days paternal leave announced by Nationalist Party

Mar 2 2022

Interviewed during a political rally, Opposition leader Bernard Grech has pledged that the Nationalist Party will be giving 15 days of paternal leave if it is elected into government.

Given that fathers only have 1 day of paternal leave, Grech highlighted how parents need to be given the opportunity to develop the relationship with their children. The relationship of both parents with their children is integral for the development of children.

‘I wish more parents have the opportunity to develop this relationship’ he said. Grech said that not all parents have the opportunity to spend as much time with their children as they may wish. This proposal will therefore help parents in this way.

Malta’s birthdate is very low, said Grech. He said that this must be addressed directly and this measure will give parents more options when it comes to child rearing. This measure also forms part of a packet of measures which gives an additional €1,000 to parents for every newborn.

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€1,500 for students who pursue education beyond post-secondary level, says Robert Abela

Mar 2 2022

During this evening’s Labour Party Q&A event held in Mosta, Prime Minister and Labour leader Robert Abela revealed that students who pursue and education beyond a post-secondary level will receive a sum of €1,500.

The purpose behind such a proposal is to incentivise youths to follow an education beyond the obligatory age of 16. Abela highlighted that the grant will be split into instalments of €500 euro per year for three years and comes on top of the 15 per cent increase in stipends also proposed by the Labour Party.

The Prime Minister reiterated the claim that education will be one of the party’s main pillars going into the March 26 election. Earlier this evening Abela also revealed that, if elected, a Labour Government will ensure that student teachers will be paid in full during their teaching practice.

Watch the full Q&A below:

What do you make of this proposal?

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LIVE: Student teachers to be paid in full during teaching practice, says Robert Abela

Mar 2 2022

During a Labour Party Q&A addressed by party leader & Prime Minister Robert Abela, it was revealed that student teachers are to be paid in full during their teaching practice if Labour is elected.

This comes in tandem with the party’s other education-related proposals as part of their electoral manifesto, with Abela reiterating previous proposals which include free school uniforms every year and free laptops & tablets for secondary school students. He held that much like books were basic a few years back, laptops and tablets are basic in this day and age. The Prime Minister went on to state that education is one of the party’s main pillars going into the general election on March 26.

Highlighting his Junior College visit earlier today, Abela also brought up the environment and sustainability as another one of Labour’s main pillars. He stated that when asking students what aspect of life should be prioritised by the party, the response was almost unanimous. Referring to the current legislature, Abela highlighted the multiple sustainability-related projects, which include the €500 million ‘Eco-hive’ investment which aims to convert waste into resources.

“The environment should not be a competitor of economic development, but a catalyst of economic development”, he stated.

Watch the full Q&A below:

What do you make of this?

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First airline to drop mandatory face masks – a return to normalcy?

Mar 2 2022

Jet2 has become the first major airline which has dropped the requirement of wearing a face mask aboard the aircraft. And this has got us wondering – is this the first step towards pre-pandemic normalcy?

It is being revealed by International newsrooms that the budget airline has quietly relaxed its rules by informing passengers that a mask is no longer mandatory to and from airports England and Northern island.

A spokesperson reportedly told The Times that it is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face mask at the airports or onboard the planes.

‘However’ they warned, ‘we recommend that you continue to wear a facemark in these spaces, and you will need to wear one when you get to your overseas destination. Jet2 has reportedly changed the policy requiring passengers to wear masks for landing.

However, it seems that masks may only need to be worn when disembarking abroad from foreign airports and on transfers to resorts. Despite Jet2 potentially being the first to adopt the no-mask policy, other airlines seem to be strict on the stance.

Some airlines are forecasting masks staying around for longer than we may like. Many claim this is a small price to pay to go into summer safe from COVID-19. It’s easier for Jet2 to remove the requirement as it doesn’t operate worldwide.

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