MCAST students have asked Prime Minister Robert Abela to intervene as some exams are cancelled and their marks remain in limbo, due to ongoing union directives. 

In the online petition, students are asking for Abela to help them get access to their marks and reschedule their exams. 

At the time of writing, the petition had already reached over 200 signatures. 

Last month, the Malta Union of Teachers ordered staff at MCAST not to disclose exam and assessment results to students after talks over the new collective agreement failed.

The students are concerned about how this situation could continue to negatively impact them, as they have nothing in hand to show to any other educational institutions they wish to apply to or future employers. 

“This situation has left third-year students unable to apply for jobs or master's programs, while others face delays in graduation and academic progression. Additionally, current directives have halted VIVA examinations for dissertations, contributing to significant stress and anxiety among the student body,” student representative Jordan Galea Pace said. 

He added that before creating the petition, the students had already tried everything else, including protesting and contacting the Education Ministry and Castille, but to no avail.

A spokesperson for the MCAST student council said: "We would like to emphasise that while it is essential to respect the rights of lecturers for fair pay, it is equally important to remember that students' futures are at stake." 

The MUT directives have impacted not only the current student body and staff but also potentially new MCAST students, whose open days have also been rescheduled.

The MCAST open day events planned for June 21 and 23 at the Paola and Mosta campuses were moved from June 27 to July 12 at the MCAST Campus in Paola.

This change results from union directives that have impacted staff participation in outreach activities.