Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1484256
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 16 NOVEMBER 2022 4 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK THE Stella Maris Band Club is set to be evicted from its his- toric premises on Annunciation Square next week, stoking calls for measures that can safeguard band clubs houses in rent-con- trolled properties. The band club is slated for eviction on 23 November after a lengthy court battle between the club and the landlords who had spent over 12 years trying to reclaim possession of the Sliema townhouse. The National Band Clubs Association said it was disap- pointed at the news, noting the band club's long history and ties to the Stella Maris festa in Sliema. It urged the government to reach an agreement that could be beneficial for band clubs and landowners, so that no band club loses its property. A controversial law intro- duced in 2018 had prevented landlords from evicting band club tenants for breaching their lease agreements. Howev- er, this law was ruled unconsti- tutional by a court in 2020 as it breached fundamental rights. In reaction to the Stella Maris eviction, Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina said that government should intervene by purchasing the properties from landlords at its market price. After doing so, government will be able to hand over the property to the band club concerned, so that it can continue operating from its original premises. Several other band clubs ex- pressed solidarity over the eviction. The San Gejtanu band club in Ħamrun said it was facing a similar legal bat- tle and possible eviction from its premises. "We cannot lose band clubs. These clubs are what 60% of Maltese people consider as part of their cul- ture." Julia Zahra, the Opposition spokesperson for culture, agreed that government should strive to find a balance be- tween the rights of landowners and the public interest of these band clubs. Nationalist MP Joe Giglio added that he will be following the case closely in the hopes of finding a solution. David Muscat, local council- lor and minority leader on the Sliema local council, expressed solidarity with the band club. "My appeal is for central gov- ernment to find a solution as soon as possible so that this gem in Sliema is not lost." Anton Debono, deputy mayor in Sliema, urged government to intervene, especially as the local Stella Maris festa depends on this band club. MP says band clubs facing eviction should be bailed out by State TOTAL teaching and non-teaching staff in formal ed- ucation during academic year 2020-2021 amounted to 18,601, an increase of 2.1 per cent when compared to the previous aca- demic year. Data published by the Nation- al Statistics Office showed that classroom teachers and aca- demic staff in pre-primary to tertiary education institutions during academic year 2020- 2021 increased by 0.6 per cent over the preceding academic year, totalling 9,731. Of these, 26.5 per cent were teachers at the upper second- ary and post-secondary non- tertiary levels, while 21.6 per cent were primary teachers. The largest share of teaching personnel were females, at 66.7 per cent. Full-time teachers ac- counted for 85.7 per cent of the total. Total tertiary level male ac- ademic staff stood at 1,303 or 63.0 per cent. During the same period, 16.3 per cent of all teaching staff were aged between 30 and 34 years, followed by the 40 to 44 years age-bracket, at 15.4 per cent. The proportion of teaching staff in state-run institutions corresponded to 74.2 per cent of the total teaching staff. This was followed by church schools at 15.6 per cent, and 10.3 per cent in private schools. The overall pupil-teacher ratio stood at 8.9 pupils per teacher during academic year 2020-2021. The highest ra- tio was recorded in private schools, at 11.5 pupils per teacher, whereas the lowest ra- tio was in state schools at 8.1 pupils per teacher. Non-teaching staff During academic year 2020- 2021, non-teaching staff in ed- ucation amounted to 8,870, an increase of 3.8 per cent when compared to the previous aca- demic year. Females represent- ed 73.7 per cent of the total non-teaching staff. More than half of the non-teaching personnel were 'Teacher Aides', totalling 4,518, or 50.9 per cent. The majority of teacher aides were aged between 30 and 39 years, at 37.7 per cent. School level management and higher-level management per- sonnel stood at 1,185, register- ing an increase of 2.4 per cent when compared to academic year 2019-2020. Teaching and non-teaching staff in formal education during 2020-2021 amounted to 18,601, up 2.1 per cent 66.7 per cent of teachers are femaie