Sick notes not required for absentee students on Monday, despite it being normal school day

Mar 25 2022

While schools will still hold lessons on Monday, a day after election results are out, Times of Malta has revealed that students will not need to present an explanation for their absence.

Sources within the education sector told the local news platform that schools will open normally on Monday, despite many traditionally taking the day off to celebrate electoral results as parents choose to keep their children at home. As such, parents will not have to provide an explanation for their children’s absence.

Students have been required to present a sick note for missing a school day because of COVID-19, with two parents in particular telling ToM that they will not send their children to school in fear of celebrations getting ‘too rowdy’.

What do you make of this?

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Pass in core subjects still required for students to enter University, Teachers’ union calls for suspension

Pass in core subjects still required for students to enter University, UoM clarifies

Mar 25 2022

The University of Malta (UoM) has stated that while pass marks in core subjects Maths, English and Maltese are no longer required for Junior College enrolment, they are still required for University entry.

The academic institution clarified this following recent reports of new entry requirements for the Junior College. The UoM highlighted that towards the beginning of 2022, “the Board of the Junior College unanimously agreed to submit a proposal to the University’s Senate to amend the entry requirements to the Junior College in a bid to provide an even wider opportunity to students to continue their studies at the College.”

The Senate agreed with the proposals on a meeting held on January 20, stating that students in possession of six passes (Grades 1-5) at SEC level, with at least one pass in a core subject (Maths, English or Maltese) will be allowed Junior College entry on a probationary basis.

The students will still require a pass mark in whichever core subjects they did not initially achieve in order to proceed into university, with special classes to be offered for the missing core subjects.

The University stated that such changes shine a light on the University’s commitment to maximising the amount of students within their institutions.

The Malta Union of Teachers has since called for the suspension of the legal notice following an outcry from educators and the public due to lack of consultation with the MUT.

Read more on the official page here.

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COVID-19 tests no longer free in England as from next week

Mar 25 2022

As of coming Monday, COVID-19 tests will no longer remain free in England.

Two years after the country first went into lockdown to prevent further spreading of COVID-19, the English government has decided that English citizens will not be able to receive any more free COVID-19 tests but rather, pay for testing.

This new approach to testing comes as port of the government’s ‘live with Covid’ plan, by which the nation will attempt to move beyond self-isolation and restrictions and towards ‘the new reality’ which politicians have been aiming for in the past months.

By the numbers, an English government website states that “The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22” and with Omicron being the main variant with less severity and the country reaching high immunity, “the value for taxpayers’ money is now less clear.”

Lateral flow tests will remain free for a number of at-risk individuals, who may receive rapid test boxes at not charge, along with PCR tests which will also become paid unless the subject falls into a high-risk category – all while Covid infection rates continue to rise in the UK.

What do you make of this?

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‘The Batman’ director releases chilling deleted scene revealing new Joker

Mar 25 2022

Following the worldwide release and distribution of director Matt Reeves’ take on ‘The Batman’, Reeves has released an eerie deleted scene which sees Barry Keoghan’s Joker come face to face with Robert Pattinson’s Batman.

The Joker character has carried prestige ever since Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the movie madman and actors have had big shoes to fill ever since. After Ledger, Jared Leto’s notable portrayal certainly did grab the attention of DC fans for his colourful and eccentric take but it was Joaquin Phoenix who truly showed another side to Joker, securing him a well-deserved Oscar for his performance.

Fast forward to 2022 and fans have been gifted a glimpse of Irish actor Barry Keoghan delivering a Hannibal-esque take on the clown prince of Gotham in a way we have never seen before. Menacing, dark and eerie, this deleted scene has been raking in praise for Keoghan’s portrayal and if those few minutes are anything to go by, we can’t wait for what comes next.

Are you a fan of The Batman?

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