Trouble brewing between MCAST and MUT after reduction of student entitlement hours

Trouble is brewing once again between MCAST and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) after an issue regarding student entitlement hours was raised to the MUT.

The issue concerns how many hours students are entitled to lectures, MUT President Marco Bonnici explained to The Malta Independent.

Bonnici said that MCAST had reduced lecture hours for some courses, sometimes drastically, but expected lecturers to cover the same amount of content in the reduced hours, something which is ‘impossible’. The MUT President explained that the reductions ranged from 12% in some courses, to a whopping 50% in others.

Bonnici said that the union had given MCAST till Thursday to meet the union so to find a solution or the matter; however, Bonnici lamented, it seemed that MCAST remain ‘adamant’ in reducing the entitlement hours.

Aside from the problems that this would cause lecturers, Bonnici also expressed his worries about the very decision to reduce the hours in the first place, saying that this will negatively affect even the students.

He said that such a decision is not one that should be taken in the current context of MCAST attaining good results.

By reducing the hours of lecturing, Bonnici said, it does not mean that better results will be obtained; the probability in fact is that worse results than before will be obtained instead.

This news comes just as a collective agreement between MCAST and the MUT is being implemented.

That agreement, which was signed at the end of July after eight months of deadlock, provided for a rise in salary, resources and standards.

A statement issued by MCAST and the MUT after the signing of this agreement said that the agreement will ensure that staff are able to avail themselves of opportunities for further continuous professional development which will, as a result, ensure MCAST learners are also equipped with the knowledge, skills and competences needed in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce.

The first semester of the new scholastic year at MCAST commences in four days, on 1 October.