PN pledges grants for home CCTV and increase in policing

Nov 1 2021

The Nationalist Party has pledged to offer more grants for people to be able to install CCTV and other security systems in their homes should it be elected to government. Home Affairs spokesperson Beppe Fenech Adami spoke during a press conference and outlined some proposals which aim to boost security within Malta’s communities. He was accompanied by candidates Errol Cutajar, Graziella Galea and Darren Carabott.

The list of proposals contain everything from measures which would have all of Malta’s police stations reopened within 24 months of the party returning to government, and each station sufficiently staffed and equipped. Despite authorities insisting that there is still a police presence in each locality, some stations have been closed in recent years.

Fenech Adami stated the country’s youth were not attracted to a career in policing because of ‘impunity culture’ in the country as well as the working conditions, which the speaker stated the youngsters described as inadequate. With an average of 12 theft reports everyday, the PN MP said that the elderly across Malta are increasingly afraid to leave their homes.

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Photo Source: Malta Police Force, Beppe Fenech Adami

New extensions to elderly home visiting hours

Nov 1 2021

As more and more COVID-19 health measures continue to be relaxed, the Health Authorities have announced that visiting hours at elderly homes have received a significant extension. Previously, the timeframe possible for a visit to one’s elders in a home racked at 90 minutes. Now, health authorities have pumped it up to four hours should one visit during the afternoon. In the morning, people will still be given 60 minutes for a visit, with up to two visitors during each session.

The Ministry for the Elderly highlighted how visitors must be vaccinated against COVID-19 as regulations for unvaccinated visitors remain the same. This relaxation comes as the drive to administer more vaccine boosters picks ups speed, with Prime Minister Robert Abela revealing that over 50,000 booster shots have been administered.

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Student teachers shocked with last minute changes due to shortage

Nov 1 2021

Student teachers are being left frustrated as many of them are experiencing a last-minute decision by the Education Department to change their school placements, just a week before they were meant to kick off their practice. The Malta Independent reported that a total of 16 students are frustrated over the fact that their classes shifted at the last minute due to the Education Department trying to make up for the primary school teacher shortage. The newsroom stated that, in speaking with a number of students reading for their Masters in Teaching and Learning at the University of Malta, they are seeing the situation as treating them utterly unfairly.

Even though these student teachers need to prepare a whole host of content and material for their classes, they are being advised with just a week’s notice of this sudden change. Some of the affected Heads of Schools were not even aware of this change, the spokespersons alleged. Making reference to claims made by the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT), the spokespersons told the newsroom that, allegedly, peripatetic teachers in some schools were informed to keep teaching their peripatetic subjects as student-teachers will be taking on students who have no class teacher.

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Photo Source: Chalkbeat

Around 67% of University students used recreational drugs

Nov 1 2021

A new study by Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) has shown that over tw0-thirds of local University students have used drugs for recreational purposes at least once in their lives. This translates to around 67% of students trying recreational drugs at least once, but the study also reports that 59% of these students make frequent use of said substances. The ages averaged between 25 and 34, with marijuana being the most commonly used drug at 90%.

Hallucinogens and stimulants followed suit at 46% and 38% respectively. Only 3% of respondents, with a majority of 94% being male, said the used narcotics. The study was conducted during the 2020/21 term, with 56% of the respondents admitting to using said drugs between the ages of 17 and 19. 29% said they used them at the age of 16 or younger.

The reasons for the usage were counter-intuitive as peer pressure was not considered to be a highly influential reason for drug use. 77% used drugs out of curiosity, 61% did so for the experience and 54% did it just for fun. There also seemed to be a high awareness by the youth as to the negative impacts of drug use, with some stating that tobacco and alcohol were more dangerous than cannabis. Between 75% and 78% of respondents also agreed that drug use can negatively impact physical and mental health.

77% expressed agreement with the idea that drug use does not help improve one’s social status or image. 68% do not think that cannabis acts as a gateway drug to harder substances, with 31% saying that marijuana is not dangerous. Another 46% thought cannabis is dangerous if consumed daily. Around 70% of respondents agreed with the recent measures introduced in Malta to decriminalize marijuana for personal use.

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