Over the past few days, the blogosphere and the national media has been lit up. Many people have had over their minds the saga that has surrounded us.
I have been thinking about writing this blog for the past few days. In the next few lines I intend to set the record straight about a number of things and to clarify a number of points about the organisation I represent.
Student organisations, such as Pulse, are nothing but an effort by us students to leave our mark over the political, environmental and economic environment of our country. We want to be involved in the decisions that will shape our future and the country’s.
Our focus is to bring about changes in the educational system to further improve it. Over the years, students have been instrumental and have had major roles in broader political events, both locally and abroad.
Collective efforts by various groups and student organisations have been aimed at improving one sector or another of our educational system. Many of these efforts succeeded. Furthermore, the most successful efforts where those were organisations united and together fought for a common cause.
During my time as a student, I witnessed crisis such as those of MUT and UMASA lecturers and the EUPA suspension of funds, which have all been successfully overcome and solved. Such events are what define us as student activists.
As an independent political student organisation with social democratic beliefs, Pulse has rallied and voiced concerns over a number of issues during the past few years. We believe that students should have and be consulted with reforms and changes in the education sector.
In the delicate political situation the country is in at the moment, many blogs and statements are being written by many students, especially on social media, expressing their opinions about the current scenario. Many statements about the education system are drawing many comments and different opinions.
As an organisation we believe that us students should unite so as our education will not be used as a bargaining chip. We should let no one use us or our play with our right to education. As Pulse, we will be on the forefront to defend students’ rights and to criticise any change to our educational framework which we believe would not be beneficial and would not help put students as the focus of our system. Moreover we also believe that students as the main consumers of the education sector should be the experts to be consulted when making changes.
Furthermore, on a more personal note, I believe that us students are capable to look into arguments presented to us, assessing those arguments and forming an informed opinion after having looked at both sides of the coin. However in doing so, we should never forget that everyone has the right to his personal opinion based on the values and principles he believes in and that we ought to respect others’ opinions and beliefs.
Glenn Micallef
President | Pulse
president@pulse.org.mt