Lecturers not consulted over JC entry requirements change

Mar 27 2022

Lecturers at Junior College and the University of Malta have reported that they were not at all consulted over the changes in entry requirements for the post secondary institution.

The government published a legal notice on Thursday saying that students will not need a pass mark in all three of the core O-level subjects – so Maths, English and Maltese to enter Junior College. A student will need to get a pass in one of these as well a pass in five other subjects.

The Malta Independent revealed on Sunday that lecturers spoken to by the newsroom had not been consulted on the decision. The Malta Union of Teachers also revealed that they were not consulted about the decision.

The union went on to call for a suspension of the legal notice on student requirements. ‘MUT has already announced that it has communicated with the Rector at the University of Malta and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Education and Sport about this issue following queries and objections received from members. It will be updating members accordingly’ said MUT in a statement.

The change was however defended by University Pro-Rector Carmen Sammut who said that she did not understand why the decision caused a panic. She said it allows students who got stuck in one or two core subjects to continue studying. She said that the decision was in favour of students.

Many did not agree with this outlook, saying that the standard of education would be severely impacted by this decision. Others expressed confusion, pointing to the fact that students will still have to pass Maths and Maltese to enter university whilst some said that it will create more stress for students as they have to prepare for failed O-Levels as well as A-Levels.

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WATCH: Bernard Grech promises to stay on as PN leader despite Labour landslide win

Mar 27 2022

In a first reaction following the Labour landslide win announced earlier today, Bernard Grech and the Nationalist Party posted a video addressing the current climate, stating that he will stay on as leader.

Grech thanked the thousands of Nationalist Party voters, “despite the power of incumbency” and other factors such as the distribution of government cheque.

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The PN leader stated that the party’s approach will remain a testament to their vision for the country before going on to state that he will remain in the Nationalist Party to give his service. In the coming works, he will approach party structures to request a strong mandate in order to continue leading the Nationalist Party.

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Peaky Blinders director confirms series finale will be a mini film

Mar 27 2022

Anthony Byrne, the director for beloved series Peaky Blinders, confirmed that the upcoming finale will have a feature-length run time to ensure the show goes out with a bang.

The director shared this news as the sixth and final season goes through its weekly release. The final season began airing last month, with episodes airing on BBC One every Sunday.

After 10 years, the series is set to end with the finale on the 3rd of April, and the cast and crew are set to make it a memorable one and very different to all that came before.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Byrne said that ‘it feels very different to the rest of the season. It feels very, very different to anything we’ve done before. It’s very epic in scope. It feels like a film.’

The director confirmed that the episode will have a run-time of a whopping 81 minutes, meaning fans will have an extra 21 minutes of content to absorb before Peaky Blinders is no more – at least, for the small screen.

Byrne had already previously mentioned that a film is officially in the works, with creator Steven Knight confirming that the project will go into production in 2023. However, some fans are expressing disappointment with the final season.

Byrne defends the direction of the series saying that the latest episodes are a character piece about the darkness of Tommy Shelby’s soul and how far down he has gone. The next episode will air on the 27th of March.

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Street parties opposite Labour HQ after announcement of ‘absolute majority’ victory

Mar 27 2022

Labour Party supporters have initiated street parties opposite Labour headquarters in Ħamrun after the announcement of a ‘absolute majority’ victory.

Red stalls, trailers, banners and party memorabilia can be seen opposite the headquarters, with large groups rushing to Ħamrun to join fellow party supports in celebration of the Labour win.

Earlier today, Labour leader Robert Abela told national broadcaster TVM that it would not be prudent to comment on numbers at the moment and that works ‘start from tomorrow’. Meanwhile, deputy leader Chris Fearne stated that while an electoral win is to be celebrated, the party will begin to pursue those who did not vote Labour or vote at all to see where any wrongdoing may have been done and how it can be approved.

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