Teachers yesterday reported for work an hour late in solidarity with a geography teacher who was attacked by a student last month.

The Malta Union of Teachers said in the evening it had information that its directive was followed by 99 per cent of teachers in all grades.

The 14-year-old student had attacked the teacher and who was due to return to school yesterday, now that his suspension had come to an end, did not turn up.

MUT president John Bencini said that while in most primary schools parents cooperated and took their children to school an hour late, in the case of secondary schools, there were some areas, especially Zejtun and Tarxien, where a large number of students were seen roaming the streets.

He expressed his satisfaction at the fact that the directive had been followed by most teachers, including heads and assistant heads. It was also followed by teachers in private and Church schools.

Mr Bencini said that no incidents were reported.

In an obvious reference to the Education Minister, he said it had been utterly irresponsible of some to say that school doors would open as usual. This could have placed some students' life in danger. It was also a form of pressure on heads and assistant heads not to follow the MUT directive and call to work on time.

In fact, the MUT said on Wednesday it had decided to sever all ties with the Education Ministry because it felt its members' democratic right to take part in industrial action was being undermined.

But the Education Ministry said the MUT's decision was unjustified as it had no means to ensure that school transport took students to school one hour late.

It said that all the minister did was to appeal to the sense of duty of heads and assistant heads to open the schools and allow students to go in, rather than leave them outside.

The ministry said it did its utmost to ensure that transport took students to school an hour late. It contacted the associations providing transport but, because of prior commitments, they were not in a position to meet the Education Division's request.

Mr Bencini said the union would not be having any contact with the ministry again before it got a declaration in writing that no one would be hindered from following union directives.

The ministry said the MUT was not justified in severing all ties with it, adding that such a decision went against the interest of teachers and education.

It would continue working to implement a useful reform for the education of students and if the MUT wanted to hinder this reform, it should shoulder the responsibility.

The ministry said that over the past few years it has worked incessantly on reviewing and recommending improvements on major educational issues. Last June it had published a major policy document called For All Children To Succeed.

This was proposing a whole reform and evolvement of the educational system. The ministry carried out a wide consultation process and started discussions with the MUT. All agreed that reform was essential and crucial, the ministry said.

The union was also presented with an initial document that outlined the strategy suggested by the ministry in the development of in school and out of school services for students with challenging behaviour.

This includes the training of teachers, the setting up of an expert, professional team to help schools to deal effectively with challenging behaviour, and the setting up of learning zones and learning centres, the ministry said.

Mr Bencini said he could not understand, and indeed was surprised, how the minister was asking heads for feedback on a good behaviour and disciplinary policy for heads of school when the union had already presented the division with its proposals.

The union's proposals were aimed at protecting teachers and schools while educating students. The MUT expected a gradual implementation of all its proposals for these to be in place by the next scholastic year.

The Times asked the Education Ministry if it was considering the MUT's proposals on the way forward regarding school violence.

The ministry said many of the proposals forwarded by MUT were primarily proposed by the ministry. "The ministry has developed a short- and long-term strategy on how to tackle the issue of challenging behaviour in schools.

"It is very positive to note that the ministry, the Education Division and the union have identical proposals on the issue.

"The MUT has also made some other proposals that are being tackled in the discussions being held with the ministry and the Education Division."

Asked why had the ministry requested heads of schools for their proposals, the ministry said it had invited schools to give their feedback on how to improve the Good Behaviour And Discipline Policy published in February 2002 and not on how to deal with episodes of school violence.

The MUT thanked the General Workers' Union, the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, the Malta Union of Bank Employees and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses who gave their support and expressed solidarity.

The Education Division thanked the police for their cooperation, adding that no incidents were reported.

Labour Party spokesman on education, Carmelo Abela, accused the Education Minister of insensitivity when he said that schools would open on time.

This, Mr Abela said, led to many children going to school at the usual time only to find the schools closed. This had put the students in danger and the police could not be present at each and every school. Even where officers were on duty, their presence was not effective enough, he added.