Teachers’ union hits out at proposal to make post-secondary mandatory

Aug 26 2021

The Malta Union of Teachers hit out at the Malta Business Chamber after it proposed making post-secondary education mandatory by extending the compulsory school age by two years. This would see students having to stay in school up to the age of 18, with the union stating that the chamber cannot take such decisions with business being the sole interest in mind. ‘The educational system is bowing too much to the interest of business and this has to stop’ the statement claimed.

‘Schools are not the producers of workers to meet the needs of businesses, but education is a holistic experience being provided to individuals to enable them to reach their potential beyond employment needs’ it continued. According to the statement, business’ influence on education is leading to low level training programmes and this is not the holistic educational experience the MUT wishes Malta to provide. ‘Businesses want to shrug off their responsibilities to train new workers for their immediate needs by expecting educational institutions to carry out training through the proposed extended compulsory age.’

The statement concluded with the MUT suggesting the Chamber analyse how businesses are encouraging young students from discontinuing their studies after few years of post-secondary eduction. This, the statement points out, leads to students being lured through ‘initially attractive salaries’ and then ending up without certification. The MUT expects the Chamber to address the shortcomings of its business members rather than shifting the blame towards the educational system which ‘is beyond their competence.’

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Photo Source: Malta Union of Teachers FB, News 1130

EU pitches in another €41 million for developing countries to fight COVID-19

Aug 25 2021

The EU has given around €41 million to developing and poor countries to help against the humanitarian crisis in regards to COVID-19. As these countries face an imbalance in the reception of the crucial COVID-19 vaccines, the rest of the world also is undergoing one of the worst period in terms of the pandemic. The EU has decided to contribute to countries in Latin America, Caribbean, Near East and Asia by providing €31 million for aiding in health for vulnerable populations, managing COVID-19 cases and even building resilient health systems.

The EU is also providing another €10 million to support UNICEF in delivering jabs to children under the COVAX programme. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic declared that the EU has been managing the response against the pandemic in several ways. These include Team Europe being the main contributor for COVAX, which works to ensure that no country gets left behind.

Through the EU’s vaccine rollout mechanism, thousands of doses are being provided every week for countries with low income. The EU has been at the forefront when it comes to battling COVID-19. Team Europe contributed to around €3 billion for COVAX to ensure that at least 1.8 billion doses are secured for 92 countries with low incomes. Around 200 million doses have been administered by COVAX to 138 countries.

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Photo Source: Caritas Europa

Italian student gets tattoo of COVID-19 vaccine certificate barcode on arm

Aug 25 2021

As people get used to carrying around a COVID-19 vaccination certificate to do all sorts of daily things, an Italian student has went the extra mile to avoid all the hassle. Andrea Colonnetta from Reggio Calabria got inked with his COVID-19 vaccine certificate’s barcode on his bicep. He told newsroom Corriere della Calabria that its certainly something original and he likes being different. As many are going against the certificate and vaccination itself, Colonnetta has worn his vaccination proof to both ease his certificate use and remember this iconic moment in history.

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A post shared by Gabriele Pellerone (@gabrielepellerone)

The student even showed how the tattoo worked as he scanned the barcode to enter a fast-food joint. The video went absolutely viral on TikTok, dividing the internet as the whole vaccination situation has been doing so far. Some pointed to it as a publicity stunt, but Andrea seems to be enjoying easy access to everything from cinemas, museums and restaurants.

@gabrielepelleronereal

Green pass al McDonald’s 🤯 #tatuaggi #tatuatori #tatuatore #tattooartist #greenpass

♬ suono originale – gabrielepellerone

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Photo Source: @gabrielepellerone IG

Sexual content will NOT be banned by OnlyFans

Aug 25 2021

The tides have turned as OnlyFans decided to suspend its planned pornography ban following immense criticism. Only nudity was going to remain allowed on the subscriber-based platform as of October 1st, with any other sexually explicit content being destined for outright banning. However, with sex workers, who relied on it for steady income, sounding their concerns, the company announced its U-turn decision. A Twitter statement revealed how, thanks to everyone making their voices heard, the necessary assurances to support ‘diverse creator community’ have been secured.

The suspension is currently in the air as to whether it will be permanent or whether it will be reintroduced at a later date. Founder Tim Stokely said that the short answer for the ban was made to safeguard funds and subscriptions from increasingly unfair actions by banks and media companies. This suspension was still met with criticism however, as many pointed out that the decision to disregard sex workers initially shouldn’t warrant people returning to the platform.

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Photo Source: Parentology