Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/540322
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 JULY 2015 8 JAMES DEBONO THE monstrous structure (above) built at Haywharf for the Armed Forces will cost Maltese taxpayers €1.1 million, with the remaining €3.4 million being contributed by the EU. The structure is to "serve for the national security interest" and is related to maritime border control missions, a spokesperson for home affairs minister Carmelo Abela told MaltaToday. The rapid deployment launching facility for the AFM will cost €4.5 million and is part-financed (75%) by the EU External borders fund for the years 2007-2013. The facility will house Rapid Interceptor Boats and is to be equipped with a 20-tonne over- head travelling crane that will per- mit all routine maintenance to be conducted under cover, while also providing for the quick launch and recovery of the craft as required. Complementing the project will be storage spaces to support the craft, accommodation facilities for standby crews, training and other administrative facilities are being constructed. Earlier this week, Green MEPs Helga Truepel and Franziska Kel- ler, in collaboration with Alternat- tiva Demokratika, tabled a question in the European Parliament asking if European funds were being used for this project and, if yes, how much money is being contributed by the EU and under what budget headline. The ministry spokesperson con- firmed that the structure was built in accordance with legal notice 287 of 2013 by MEPA, which exempts the army from seeking a planning permit. Through this legal notice, no planning notification is required "where in the opinion of the Min- ister responsible for the Armed Forces or the Minister responsible for Immigration, the development is urgently required for national security reasons or for humanitar- ian, security or other relevant rea- sons, respectively." The Ministry confirmed that the Superintendence for Cultural Her- itage had been consulted. When asked for his personal opinion on the subject earlier on this week, Environment Minister Leo Brincat replied that, "what is an eyesore is an eyesore". News MARTINA BORG THE Malta Union of Teachers has raised doubts over recom- mendations for a stricter vetting of students enrolling in courses that could lead to employment in schools, suggested in a White Pa- per by the Lisa Maria Foundation and the education ministry. "Although the MUT agrees with rigorous screening procedures at all times, it is against any further bureaucratic burdens placed on educators and on a system already weighed down by red tape," the union told MaltaToday. The stricter vetting recommen- dation is part of 17 recommenda- tions presented by the Lisa Maria Foundation and the education ministry in a White Paper target- ing more effective recruitment and selection procedures for people working with minors. The foundation was set up after the death of student Lisa Marie Zahra, 15, after whom it is named. Erin Tanti, Lisa Marie's drama teacher, stands charged with her murder and assisted suicide in a botched suicide pact that took place on 19 March, 2014 at Dingli Cliffs. "We expect that such screen- ing is made of all professionals in contact with minors and not just teachers, who seem to be singled out unfairly," the union added. University students enrolling in a teaching course usually take up a Bachelor's degree in education, although graduates in the Arts also tend to drift into teaching, after completing a post-graduate cer- tificate in education. Noting how bureaucratic such systems would be, the MUT said it was "totally against treating pro- fessional educators as suspicious," and felt that these procedures would imply "educators have to prove themselves clean". "Such an attitude is totally un- heard of in all professions and the union expects the government to respect the professional status of all educators in a concrete man- ner rather than invent humiliating processes," a spokesman said. The union said that although improvements are welcome, struc- tures were already in place espe- cially in terms of warranting, eth- ics, boards of discipline and audits at educational institutions. "There is undoubtedly, a need to invest in more resources for the purposes of enforcement and quality assurance. As we have pre- viously suggested, more measures need to be in place to ensure that all persons working with children have a professional warrant or li- cence," the union added. More vetting required The White Paper's recommen- dations single out international university guidelines that could be used as models for the local sys- tem. Among the various methods used in foreign universities, the main trend is for both a criminal conduct, and permission for the university to access Sex Offenders' lists. A look at the University of Malta guidelines shows that applicants of any education course are required to present the university adminis- tration with a police conduct, but this, according to the new recom- mendations is not enough. "It is common practice for foreign universities to make additional conditions of admission to courses where adults may come into con- tact with minors, both during the course itself and upon graduation," the document specifies. Contacted by this newspaper the University of Malta said that differ- ent faculties have long had diverse vetting processes in place. "Following the issuing of the White Paper, academic members of staff will have the opportunity to discuss the various points and evaluate the suggestions being made," director of communica- tions Patricia Camilleri said. The MUT agreed with some of the other recommendations in the document, like the suggestion of simplifying legislation connected to the offenders' register and en- suring employers have access to the Sex Offenders' list. "We have been putting forward various suggestions to protect mi- nors who have severe problems at their home or at their community for many years now," the union pointed out. "Hopefully, this legislation in- cludes moves to tackle child abuse at home and within the communi- ties that may range from neglect to sex abuse and everything else in between," it added, noting that to date the Children's Act was still not in place. "While the majority of parents act responsibly towards their children, there is a minority of irresponsible parents coming from all walks of life and social backgrounds, that are ruining their children's lives and little is being done to protect these children," the union said. No more red tape on student-teachers – union Quotations are to be submitted by not later than Wednesday 22 July 2015, 11:00 am. Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology Administration Building, MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Hill, Paola PLA 9032. T: 2398 7100 F: 2398 7316 E: tenders@mcast.edu.mt www.mcast.edu.mt Calls for Quotations Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Project part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your future ESF 2.139 INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY , FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION TO MCAST LIFE�LONG�LEARNING COURSE OFFER Services of experiential knowledge experts in the following sectors: Q.63/2015 – Joiner (Woodworker) Q.64/2015 – Furniture Factory Woodworker MCAST is requesting quotations for services related to the identification of tasks that characterise experiential knowledge in the vocational sectors identified above. The Experiential Knowledge Experts shall be required to draw up tasks that are typically conducted by individuals in the specific sectoral occupations and link these tasks to learning outcomes and specific MCAST courses. The quotation documents can be viewed by accessing http://www.mcast.edu.mt/topmenu/tendersand quotations/quotations/quotationsnews/tabid/149/id/1220/services-of-exper iential-knowledge-experts-in-various-vocational-sectors.aspx The University of Salford (Manchester) vetting procedure Salford vets admissions for prospective students whose study, placement or work experience involves regulated activity relating to children. Vetting includes identity checks, criminal conviction declarations, countersignature of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application, satisfactory DBS clearance and barred list checks, and a police conduct certificate. An admissions panel analyses such candidates requiring DBS clearance according to the nature and gravity of offences they have committed, the age at the time of the offence, length of time since the offence, number of offences, any pattern of offences, severity of the sentence, relevance of offence to profession, the applicant's response to offence and rehabilitation, and public trust. €3.4 million in EU funding for Haywharf eyesore The MUT expects the government "to respect the professional status of all educators in a concrete manner"