MCAST all set to welcome students, the challenge has to be shared by all.
The Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) will be one of the first educational institutions to open its doors to students this week. After months of planning, the College will start with a gradual phasing in and staggered safe return for new and continuing students. Since the last week of August, several students and lecturers met on campus to finish the practical sessions and assessments from the previous academic year.
On 30 September, a second group of 150 students will be on campus to sit for their initial assessment tests to gain access to the foundation courses. A large number of students will be starting lectures on 1 October in a combination of both in-person and online lessons. By 19 October all students across the 6 MCAST institutes will have settled into their courses.
Earlier this month, MCAST was the first post-secondary educational institution to publish its protocol for College safety. The robust protocol is the result of campus-wide risk assessment carried out across all facilities and ongoing consultation with the Superintendent for Public Health, the Union and students. The campus sites and over 450 learning spaces including workshops and laboratories have been reorganised with a range of enhanced safety measures, all in a physically distanced environment.
Sanitising stations are available in all venues and visual aids and signage around all the sites remind students and staff of mandatory face covering, social distancing and the importance of frequent hand washing. Every institute now has a mitigation officer responsible for coordinating all COVID-19 related matters.
Welcoming lecturers at the start of the academic year, Prof Joachim James Calleja said: “All measures have been taken by the College to secure the safety of staff and students. However, all efforts and investments will serve for nothing unless staff and students’ behaviours outside the College respect the health authorities’ recommendations. The burden to meet the challenge of COVID-19 must be shared by all. Since in vocational education and training, we rely on hands-on practice. We need to continue serving and supporting while mitigating risks for our College community. As circumstances may change, we may have to adjust elements of our provision at short notice and work with agility. We will also need to maintain clear, consistent messaging across all our channels. Collaboration and communication are key: Working together to keep each other safe – this is our guiding principle as we continue to navigate the unprecedented challenges brought about by this pandemic.”
For more information about MCAST’s COVID-19 response: mcast.edu.mt/covid19.

 Maltese