Their standard of education is certainly much higher than the national average although still low by European criteria.

However it is high enough to enable them to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Needless to say, I agree with johnusa. Stipends are nothing but an expensive way to decrease our unemployment levels. A piece of gvern hanin idiocy which keeps our students lazy, our universities underfunded and crowded, our dole queues manageable, and our people stuck to Big Government’s Handout Teat.

I think that every leader will market himself based on the strongest traits he/she has over the other opponent.

When it was Gonzi vs Sant, Gonzi promoted himself as the ideal family man, which highlighted the fact that Sant was no longer married.

Now it’s old vs young, and I don’t see anything fascinating about this. But I do understand where you’re coming from: 18-year-olds do think that 38 year olds are, in fact, old.

Now Neil Dent, that is, a typical old-fashioned Labour, anzi socialist, mentality.

I repeat the same question that I have been asking over and over again, why do we Maltese EXPECT the government to pay us for continuing our education?

In the US a bachelor degree would cost you around 30,000$.

In Malta, not only is it free, but the government has to pay the students to read for one.

On a different but similar note, in Malta we complain about waiting for 6 hours at the ER, but we all forget that it is free.

In the US, for instance, you’d still wait 6 hours and then you receive a bill. And it’s not a 50euro bill. Sometimes a simple checkup and a chest x-ray totals around $2000. And if you don’t have medical insurance, you’re screwed.

So yeah, my sense of humor is spot on, thank you very much.

Johnusa is right; the government should stop this ‘ stipendji’ handouts: it smacks of outdated socialism.

His brain power is nevertheless better than yours and your incompetent prime minister put together multiplied by infinity!

Exactly – it is Labour promoting their ‘Leader Zaghzuh’, not the PN who prefer to be elected on merit, not gimmicks.

I’m middle aged – but hang on, I’m only four years older than that whipper-snapper Joseph.

Hilarious? That doesn’t say much for your sense of humour, johnusa.

As a father of a 19yr old, 2nd year university student, and a 15yr old who will hopefully follow suit, I think the stipend system is an absolute marvel!

Now we find out that it is just not true.