Two unattended toddlers saved from drowning by Malta Red Cross

Aug 30 2021

Within the span of a few minutes, Malta Red Cross lifeguards saved two unaccompanied toddlers from drowning. In a statement issued by the safety and first aid service yesterday, parents and guardians were appealed to for closer attention and inspection of their young children. The statement appealed for the guardians to be ‘extra careful whilst at the beach.’

Both incidents reportedly ended without serious injuries thanks to the ‘prompt intervention of our lifeguards and other bystanders.’ However, these incidents were two of the lucky ones as such carelessness could result in harm and even unfortunate deaths. Stay safe out there, and well done to Malta Red Cross’ team for their service!

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Photo Source: Malta Red Cross FB

34 COVID-19 cases registered with 35 recoveries

76 COVID-19 cases registered with 49 recoveries

Aug 30 2021

Malta has registered 34 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours from 2,362 swab tests, while 35 patients have recovered. No deaths were registered in the past 24 hours. This information was announced by the official Facebook page of Malta’s Ministry for Health.

As of Sunday 30th August 2021, 795,649 vaccine doses were administered of which 413,205 were 1st doses. 412,062 people are currently fully vaccinated.

To date, Malta has registered 36,123 COVID-19 cases in total, of which: 34,653 have recovered, 440 died and 634 are still active.

Mater Dei Hospital is currently treating a total of 32 COVID-19 positive patients, 2 of whom are in the ITU.

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Max Verstappen awarded half-point victory at rainy Belgian Grand Prix

Aug 30 2021

Yesterday’s Belgian Grand Prix in Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was certainly one fans will never forget. No racing was present, as at the end only a formation lap and 2 laps behind the safety car occurred. All of this was because of the rain shower going on in Belgium. The rain was so heavy that the race really and truly never got on.

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The race which was supposed to start at 3 was delayed multiple times. The drivers were allowed to do a formation lap at 3:30 but pretty much all drivers were in agreement that the weather conditions were dangerous for any actual racing. After the formation lap, nearly 3 hours of waiting commenced.

In those three hours, viewers got to see the many interesting stuff the drivers get up to when waiting for a race to begin. McLaren driver Lando Norris was seen sleeping whilst German duo Sebastien Vettel and Mick Schumacher were playing 2 vs 2 football in the Haas garage.

Meanwhile, in the football it’s Haas 8-6 Aston Martin #HaasF1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/QtZ1IaTVsV

— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) August 29, 2021

This race was also a milestone for some certain drivers. This race was supposed to be Daniel Ricciardo’s 200th Grand Prix, Lando Norris and George Russel’s 50th Grand Prix and Fernando Alonso’s 327 race where he would have become the driver with the second most race starts in F1 history.

After hours of waiting, there was a glimmer of hope at 6:17 for F1 fans and drivers alike as it was announced that they would be doing 2 laps behind a safety car. It was reported that if the drivers felt safe driving then a 1-hour race would have commenced, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case as the drivers confirmed their fears, stating the rain was worse than before.

The race ended with a Max Verstappen win, but he received half of the normal 25 points as less than 75% of the race was covered. However, this race did result in fan favourite George Russel’s first ever podium in F1 after his amazing qualifying performance on Saturday.

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Education reform needed before compulsory age extended to 18 say experts

Aug 30 2021

According to various education experts, the proposal to increase compulsory school age by two years will only work if the education system is reformed to be more relevant and engaging. Educational psychologist Carmel Cefai stated that the focus needs to be shifted so that young people find it motivating and rewarding to continue education up to 18 years of age. Former dean of the Faculty of Education Carmel Borg also addd that increasing compulsory school age was worth exploring through research and consultation with stakeholders and students.

He pointed out how the two ‘extra’ years cannot reproduce the scholastic experience which has ‘ruined several students over the years’. The one-size fits all principle, according to Borg, would result in disaster. These comments follow the Malta Chamber of Commerce defending its proposal to extend education age to 18 after unions of teachers came out against it. This is not a new concept for Malta as it has been in the local zeitgeist over the years, with former Education Minister Evarist Bartolo also raising the issue.

The former minister stuck to his belief, stating that Malta should take steps to ensure all young people between 16 and 18 are youths in education, employment or training (YEETS). This is to raise the skill level of all young people, he claimed, pointing to increase the provision of meaningful and relevant working and training experience for young people. The Chamber of Commerce highlighted a problem in terms of human capital as there are not enough workers to fill jobs.

The aforementioned Carmel Borg remained of the opinion that forcing students into another two years of education would not solve the issue. Instead, researching and testing different types of education is, according to Borg, the ideal scenario. Senior lecturer in Youth and Community Studies Maria Pisani stated that whilst there is a desperate need to reform and invest in the education, students are not just human capital. Leaving them with no option but to continue their education is just another ‘brick in the wall.’

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Photo Source: Kudos Blog