Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/622858
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 JANuArY 2016 5 News Gozitans account for 11% of new graduates in 2015 James Debono 11% of students who gradu- ated in 2015 hailed from Gozo, which accounts for only 7% of the population. Gozitan stu- dents also accounted for 9% of students who entered univer- sity in 2015. This confirms the trend shown in other statistics, which show that 11% of students sitting for A levels in 2015 are from Gozo. Statistics recently presented in parliament also confirm At- tard as the locality where young people seem to have the best educational prospect. 179 grad- uates hailed from this local- ity. More graduates hailed from Attard than from Birkirkara, which has double the popula- tion. Only Mosta, which also has twice Attard's population, is more represented among last year's graduands. 5.2% of new graduates and 4% of new entrants hail from At- tard, which accounts for only 2.5% of the Maltese population. 7.3% of new graduates hail from the three villages of Atta- rd-Lija-Balzan which together account for 4.3% of the popula- tion. Attard outperforms simi- larly sized middle class locali- ties such as Swieqi. When population size is taken into account Iklin emerges as Attard's closest educational ri- val. Nearly 2% of students who graduated last year hailed from Iklin, which has a population of just 3,100 (0.7% of the total population). 3.1% of new graduates hailed from Swieqi, Madliena and Ibrag which together account for 2.3% of the Maltese popula- tion. Sliema accounted for 3.3% of new graduates, which exactly ref lects its share of the popula- tion. But the lower percentage of graduates when compared to Attard can be partly explained by its ageing population. Rural localities such as Sig- giewi register a higher rate of graduates than similarly sized urban localities. While only 27 new graduates hailed from Hamrun 84 hailed from Sig- giewi, which has a similar pop- ulation. Siggiewi accounts for 2.4% of new graduates and 1.9% of the general population. Statistics confirm low educa- tional achievements in the har- bour area. Only 22 students out of 3,102 new graduates (fewer than 0.7%), hailed from Bormla, Isla and Birgu. But higher rates of gradu- ates are registered by younger southern localities such as Marsaskala, which accounts for 3.2% of graduates. The seaside locality accounts for 2.9% of the population. The three localities, which also have an ageing population, account for 2.4% of the Maltese population. Another locality, which fares badly in higher education, is St Paul's Bay, which accounts for 4.1% of the Maltese population – only 2.7% of new graduates hailed from this locality. Mosta fares much better than similarly sized Birkirkara and St Paul's Bay. 4.4% of new gradu- ates hail from Birkirkara (which accounts for 5% of the popula- tion), 6.2% hail from Mosta (which accounts for 4.7% of the population) Females prevail over males Significantly females account- ed for 59% of all new graduates in 2015. But the percentage of females was even higher in a number of localities. 65% of Gozitans who gradu- ated in 2015 were females. Birkirkara also registers a gen- der imbalance, with females accounting for 66% of students graduating from this locality. Females also accounted for 71% of all new graduates from Mellieha and 83% of new gradu- ates in Qrendi. But the highest gender imbalance is registered in tiny San Lawrenz, in Gozo, where all six new graduates were female. Fgura, Sta Lucija, Ta' Xbiex, Gharghur, Mgarr and Valletta were the only localities from where more boys than girls graduated. In Fgura males accounted for 54% of new graduates. Curious- ly in neighbouring Paola 76% of new graduates were females. In Valletta the percentage of males rises to 65% of the paltry 17 new graduates from the capital city. Qormi was one of the most balanced localities, with males accounting for 49% of new graduates. Din l-Art Helwa objects to Ramla Bay hotel extension James Debono DIN l-Art Helwa is objecting to an application proposing to dou- ble the number of hotel apart- ments from 45 to 100. The environmental NGO ex- pressed its concern on the visual impact of the heart shaped hotel extension, noting that while the existing apartments are low ly- ing and thus create a "gentle gra- dient" between the coast line and the main hotel, the proposed de- velopment of a seven f loor block includes no terracing effect to minimise the visual impact, the NGO notes. "Any hotel extension should blend with the landscape, es- pecially in a stretch of unspoilt coastline which is highly vis- ible on trips from Comino and Gozo," the NGO said in submis- sions sent to MEPA. Similar concerns on the visual and ecological impact of a major extension of the Ramla Bay Hotel in Marfa have been expressed in a screening report by the Malta Environment and Planning Au- thority. The application seeks permis- sion for the demolition of the existing 45 apartments, which are presently interspersed in nine, separate one- to two-storey buildings and the construction of 100 apartments built over a seven-f loor extension to the ho- tel which has the same height. It also proposes indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, catering outlets and an under- ground car park for 68 vehicles. The proposal will result in an in- crease of 240 beds in the resort. The project does not involve the take up of any virgin ODZ land but increases the massing of the development. MEPA had already approved a 102-room ex- tension in 2009. The screening report prepared by the Environment Protection Directorate notes that the project seeks to increase the overall massing of the existing hotel. Referring to the photomontages presented by architect Ray Dem- icoli the report notes that the project will result in "significant effects of the proposed project on the larger cultural and natu- ral landscape and visual setting of the area". The massing of the existing hotel in an otherwise open coun- tryside context is not to be "en- couraged from an environmental point of view." The report also notes that the impacts on the adjacent Natura 2000 site remain unclear. The site lies on the coast close to the marine Natura 2000 site. The area includes Posidonia oceanica meadows, a habitat protected by EU legislation. The report notes that this important habitat could be impacted by the proposed development, especially dur- ing demolition and excavation works, as a result of dust and debris generated which may find its way into the marine environ- ment. "The site characteristics are such that while the impacts along the Northern coast are ex- pected to be minimised by cur- rents, any dust plumes that enter the bay will remain there for a considerable amount of time, increasing water turbidity, and possibly smothering the Posido- nia oceanica". The report warns that compli- ance with the requirements of the Environmental Management Construction Site Regulations is only "considered the bare mini- mum in seeking to prevent over- spills from the site onto the sur- rounding environment." While reiterating concerns on the visual and ecological impact of the project the EPD concluded that the proposal does not re- quire the submission of an Envi- ronment Impact Assessment. More females than males graduated from university last year The Ramla Bay Hotel