Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/855205
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 JULY 2017 Opinion 26 Facing a shortfall of 200 nurses at the newly opened Mater Dei hospital, government yesterday announced an increase in university stipends for stu- dents pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing. In a new package of investments in education, Education Minister Louis Galea yesterday said over 15,500 stu- dents will be receiving government maintenance in 2008 – a figure which has doubled since 2000. The increase in stipends for nursing students is expected to cost Lm40,000 in the first three months of the aca- demic year – a total of Lm262,600 over six years. Last January the government also agreed to awawrd stipends to 216 students of IT who could not be admitted into MCAST and instead had to choose private educational institutions. This measure will cost Lm128,739 this year. Sixth Form students at St Martin's College will also receive a stipend, which is costed at Lm20,800 for the coming academic year. The investment will exceed Lm8.2 million a year, and includes supple- mentary stipends for 655 Gozitan students. The minister said the increase in students has since occurred due to the revision of the stipends system in the year 2000, and said students are no longer expected to pay any part of what is received from the Govern- ment. He declared his disagreement with earlier statements by Central Bank governor Michael C. Bonello on the need for a means-tested stipends, when asked by MaltaToday yesterday. "The Government does not agree with this. The number of students is still on an acceptable level and we feel we are justified in our actions to encourage students to continue studying." He said reducing stipends would not occur until there is a satisfactory number of students attending higher educational institutions and are not in need of this financial incentive to continue studying. This financial incentive originally given by the government during the 2005/2006 year in other science de- grees has since produced a substantial 25 per cent increase in students apply- ing for BSc. courses in IT, Science and Engineering. At least 70 per cent of students are also continuing their post-secondary studies indicating that the number has increased concurrently with the changes made maintenance grant and its availability to more students. Due to a greater number of students attending post-secondary and tertiary institutions, places available have decreased rapidly in certain areas of study. Because of this issue, many students have to opt for an alternate institution. Louis Galea stated: "The choice of institution should not inhibit students from receiving a mainte- nance grant equal in amount to fellow institutions whether they are private or state schools." Galea also said the introduction of the smart card for students, over 350 commercial outlets have accepted the use of smart card purchases. He said by October of this year, 400 outlets located will accept the card. Following changes made in 2005, Gozitan students also started benefit- ing from additional funding due to their differing needs such as accom- modation away from home and ferries caught back and forth from Gozo. University stipends increased to stem nursing shortfall News – 1 August, 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Making room for Maltese artists Planning decisions that ignore aesthetics As many already know the Polverista at the annex in Valletta has been converted into an art gallery, a permanent space set up exclusively for the promotion of British artist Victor Pasmore. Those responsible claim that VP represents Maltese heritage though neither do we possess a collection of his work nor does his work represent any Maltese aspect. All the works are on loan, partially by the Marlborough Gallery and the rest by the fam- ily. Therefore there is neither heritage nor patrimony. Some keep insisting that during his residency in Malta VP had a kind of open house for artists to gather and discuss art. This is false. Victor Pasmore lived a secluded life in Malta with his wife Wendy where he had the occasional meeting with a couple of local friends, most often at the British Hotel in Valletta. Pasmore came to Malta at the age of retirement when Malta was a popular destination for many British expats. Malta of- fered many convenient reasons then: low cost of living, inex- pensive property, good weather and the English language. VP chose Gudja for various reasons, amongst them the proximity to the airport since Pasmore needed to travel out to see to his concerns outside Malta, mainly the Marlborough Gallery and the 2RC workshops in Rome. When Pasmore was asked by a Brit- ish journalist if Malta had any inf luence on his art he invariably answered without hesitation that Malta had no inf luence at all on his art. Such statements are well documented. Pasmore's works do not belong to a specific place or time. He was not concerned with the local his- tory or local themes. His abstract compositions explicitly defy loca- tions and tangible themes. When one says that his works have Maltese connotations one shows incompetence. It is simply an of- fence to the artist's intentions. In 2012 the VP Foundation was set up and like any foundation it was supposed to promote and support the art programmes, however no such activity ever took place until it was taken over by the Central Bank and later by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (FPM). Much effort and money has been dedicated to promote the works of VP. The Marlborough gallery as well as the Pasmore family are benefit- ting gratuitously. It is hard to believe that the first time that the Malta Central Bank has set up a contemporary art gallery, it is entirely and exclusively dedicated to a British artist. If the Maltese Central Bank as well as Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti are so genuinely concerned with promoting the Maltese her- itage they should have promoted the Maltese artists who devoted their entire career to Maltese art and their citizens. These artists have dedicated their lives to teaching while contributing to the local art scene despite the limitations. Their art stems from our heritage and history. A prime example is Antoine Camilleri, a generous artist, a champion whose expression is unique, revealing to us the multifaceted aspects of Maltese life. Others come to mind: Frank Portelli, Anton Agius, Emvin Cremona. Do these Maltese artists de- serve the privilege to occupy the space at the annex gallery of the Central Bank of Malta? Paul Camilleri Shropshire, UK Your Sunday correspondent Dr Robert Musumeci on 2 July, gave out the salient points of a Plan- ning Commission decision as well as that of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. Both decisions referred to an application to convert an exist- ing window on house façade to become a garage door, as well as to change the use of the sitting room to serve as the garage. The application referred to premises at St. Trophimus Street, Sliema, which for the benefit of readers is a long street which includes the Sacro Cuor Church. We the owners of the house were not pleased with the deci- sion, that rejected our appeal. We are pointing out the basis of the decision taken by the Com- missioner as well as those of the Tribunal. At a first instance, the Commis- sion pointed out that the façade of the house was scheduled as a "Category B elevation" and so the proposed designs were incompat- ible with the urban design and environmental characteristics of an urban conservation area and that such designs would not maintain the visual integrity of the area. We argued on appeal, that our property is not graded, therefore a garage can be allowed. We also argued that the garage, if granted, would lead to symmetry with adjacent development and still retain the architectural features of the existing townhouse. The Heritage Advisory Committee gave its non-objection to our proposal. Had we got the garage, we would have increased the provision of "off street" parking in the locality. The case officer disagreed with our arguments and said that the premises is "located immediately opposite the Church" which is a grade 1 building, and our town house forms part of a short stretch of town houses having identical architectural features and if we were allowed the garage we would disrupt the rhythm of a streetscape. The Tribunal agreed with the case officer, as if were our garage opening to be granted then the aesthetics of an other- wise "untouched" streetscape would be disrupted. Had the case officer, or the Commissioner of the Tribunal bothered to have a browse on "google maps" to identify the area before concluding on architectur- al features, streetscape and what lies opposite the site where the garage application has been made, they would surely have seen how baseless their conclusions are. For a start, on the same streetscape, one can find: An in- dustrial printing press; two blocks of flats with four storeys each; a house of character that, not long ago, was granted permission to remove a window, together with the architectural feature, and have a garage; a ground f loor premises changed from a shop to residence; a lotto office; and a band club with a stone balcony. On the other side of the road of the streetscape one can visu- ally identify townhouses with aluminum apertures, doors and windows as well as another townhouse with a garage and also a warehouse. Additionally the siting of the garage applica- tion is opposite a town house, corner with Church Street and not opposite the Sacro Cuor Church. To conclude, your readers may wish to note that the aesthetics of the streetscape, concluded by the Commission, Tribunal and case officer to be "untouched" is purely imaginative. If one can classify an industrial building, f lats, commercial, townhouses with garage and band club as be- ing "untouched" and so as built, then this measuring scale was used from when our application was registered. The measuring yarn of desktop decisions ignores actual aesthet- ics of a place. Would our garage have disrupted the rhythm of the streetscape? Correct a rhythm which is of a mixed use area where symmetry is not part of the hymn sheet. But maybe, it will be applied from now onward. Only time will tell. F. Jaccarini and E. Muscat Joint owners