MCAST students walked out of their lectures on Friday, protesting industrial action at the college that has left them without exam results for two months.
Students from the Paola and Mosta campuses took part in the protest, despite the Education Ministry's reassurance of its "intervention" to help conclude negotiations between the Malta College for Arts Science and Technology and the Malta Union of Teachers.
The MUT has an ongoing trade dispute with MCAST over a delayed collective agreement. Among others, in following a directive issued by the union last year as part of the dispute, lecturers are not publishing exam marks.
The protest was still on as MUT, MCAST and the government had still not reached an agreement.
On Friday, student Jordan Galea Pace, who is also running as a local council candidate for Swieqi on a PN ticket said students were studying day and night and wanted their marks so that they can move forward with their studies.
"There are those among us who are studying to become nurses and teachers. Both professions are currently suffering a shortage of personnel. MCAST must sit down with the government and come up with an agreement," the 22-year-old said.
Galea Pace said that University of Malta students had planned a similar protest due to a long-running industrial dispute but the union representing non-academic staff had lifted the directives.
Earlier this week, the UĦM Voice of the Workers suspended industrial action at the university on the eve of a planned student protest. It said it was lifting the directives as a sign of goodwill following progress in discussions about a collective agreement for non-academic staff.
At MCAST, however, students were still waiting for a break in the impasse, Galea Pace said.
He added that students supported lecturers, who were themselves under a lot of pressure, warning however that if directives remained in place, the students would organise further protests.
"We will continue to walk out of our lectures to make sure our voices are heard," he said, to chants of "tuna l-marki" (give us our marks).
Health Sciences student Estella Mercieca told Times of Malta students were the future of Malta.
"Students should not have to wait for their marks for over two months," the 19-year-old student said, adding she would be starting a degree next year.
"We hope that this protest shows how frustrating the situation is and there is some progress."
IT student Allister Ellul, 17, meanwhile said he attended the protest to make sure students' voices are heard: "Students and lecturers deserve better".
PN leader Bernard Grech was present for the protest.
Hours before the protest, the Education Ministry said it would "intervene" in the matter to help conclude negotiations between the college and the lecturers' union.
And at around the time students started protesting, the MUT issued a statement thanking students for supporting their lecturers and staff impacted by the delayed collecting agreement.