Who exactly is being served by the news that a University Lecturer has been reported for sexual harassment? What use is there for the publicity of this news other than the fomenting of speculation and haphazard finger-pointing?
Without in any way defending any form of sexual harassment – wherever it takes place, surely it is time to ask questions about the role of the media in such issues. Now the University has confirmed that it has received a complaint and that appropriate action is being taken. I do hope of course that should such sexual harassment have taken place then that real justice is done.
What I cannot ignore though is the manner in which this news has come out and its consequences on the whole lecturing profession. Until the controversy curious public are fed a name, all persons working at the University are suddenly subject to useless speculation. This can have an effect of watering down the very instrument intended to protect students (and lecturers incidentally) by exposing it to possible future abuse. At one stage we heard how the student preferred to register the complaint early “in order that it does not effect her marks”.
I have absolutely no reason to doubt the genuineness of this particular complaint. The way it is being handled though might just about switching on genius light bulbs in the minds of many a slacker student who suddenly sees a possible way out of the “suffering” in University life by concocting a harassment complaint or two. In the least you could get the attention of the media, at most you could blackmail a lecturer just until you get the necessary marks.
Sexual harassment is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. Had the case been allowed to run its full course then the media would have been within their rights reporting the result – including the name of the person found guilty. As things stand we risk corrupting an important process that is still very slow to seep in to our social way of thinking.
It’s Student’s Day and the University of Malta is abuzz as it is wont to be on such an occasion. I haven’t seen anything online about the KSU or University commemorating this moment in history but that might be for fear of Deborah Schembri or Cyrus Engerer lashing back and reminding us that bringing up the past is for pussies. Or something like that.
Student’s Day. A protesting student did make the headlines by exposing Malta’s sleepy minister to a barrage of expletives. The reason? Numerus clausus? Censorship? No. Arriva. The bus commute from Naxxar to Valletta is too long so fuck you Austin. Unlike Michael Frendo back in ’77 (go ahead correct me) this particular student did not get a taste of the Lorry Sant or Wistin Abela thug fraternity. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for hurling expletives at Ministers if that is your particular cup of tea… I only wish we had a video of the event for posterity’s sake. Did she also reserve an insult or two for the vanishing act that is Manuel Delia? Attagirl.
Illustration #1: A student makes the headlines
And while we are on the subject of thugs. Here’s how the youth of today, the progressive youth, spend their time on Student’s Day. Here’s Alex Saliba celebrating god knows what anniversary from the death of that paladin of tertiary education and buildings for the people Lorry Sant. Thank (expletive removed) that I had LIKED a comment in reply to Alex’s blurb before it was picked up by the Runs otherwise lord knows what new fantasies and phantsies of plagiarism or idea-theft would have been found in that corner of the blogoverse.
Illustration #2: Lorry's Anniversary
And speaking of young progressives I cannot fail but mention Aaron Farrugia – the spokesperson of Fondazzjoni Ideat whose idea of a retort in an argument is accusing his interlocutor of being an armchair critic. Aaron picked on one of Dear Leader’s rumblings at Tal-Qroqq and decided it was quotable enough as marketing material – proof of Labour’s sound vision for the future. Apparently Joseph Muscat tells us that the UOM should be a centre for learning and creativity. A university for learning did you say? There we were thinking University was only for Realtà controversies, campus fests and rag days (do they still do that one?).
I gave Aaron a taste of his own medicine (oops… can I use that phrase or is it now copyright) and suggested more catchy phrases like: “Fishermen should catch and sell fresh fish. Grocers should sell vegetables. Farmers should reap what they sow.” How does the chairman of Labour’s think tank react to my obvious allegation that this is not a proposal but a useless populist tautology? Well after toying with the usual “armchair critic” piffle… he does what seems to be done best by most Maltese when challenged to discuss: he blocks me from his facebook account. Luckily I had picture evidence of the exchange:
Armchair Escapism
One last thing about university. The barrier is already quite low as it is. Labour’s new championing of students’ right to enter courses could of course be commendable. What is truly worrying is the trend that seems to be moving confusingly towards declaring “graduation” as a right. The right is to access education. There is absolutely no right to successfully read a course. If you are hopeless at a course, if you are unqualified to read a course, then the only place for you is in the failure cabinet. I get this feeling that very little failures are forthcoming at University – resits are just a reminder “to do better next time”. This is just as worrying as having a numerus clausus. Surely someone, somewhere should be pointing this out. Otherwise might as well hand out random diplomas in combination with birth certificates. Then everybody would be equal… we’d be a nation of graduates… and who will need education then?
Surely not Lorry Sant.
ASIDE: Josanne Cassar has belatedly joined the blogging comunity by opening her own portal at www.josannecassar.com. It’s a bit more than a blog – more like a collection of articles and interviews but we’d like to wish her all the luck with this venture of hers.
Who exactly is being served by the news that a University Lecturer has been reported for sexual harassment? What use is there for the publicity of this news other than the fomenting of speculation and haphazard finger-pointing?
