Talks on supervision before and after school hours

A policy establishing teachers' supervision before and after school hours had never existed, but it should be established before the next scholastic year, the education ministry and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) said.

During a meeting presided by Education Minister Louis Galea, the two parties stressed the need to establish a clear policy about the protection of children before and after school hours as soon as possible after discussions with involved parties.

The ministry and the MUT said in a joint statement that the doors of primary schools were opened 10 minutes before school hours, and it was the responsibility of parents to take their children to school on time. The two parties said there were some exceptions in certain localities.

They said parents were obliged to pick up their children at the established time and not leave them waiting. It said parents had to be conscious that the school administration should not be responsible for children after school hours.

With regard to secondary schools, they said discussions to find the best solution both for the pupils and teachers were to start immediately.