Education Minister to forge ahead with reform

The reform in the educational sector will not grind to a halt just because the Malta Union of Teachers has severed ties with the ministry.

Education Minister Louis Galea yesterday expressed his determination that reform in the educational sector will go on, after fears that the present impasse between the two sides would put the reform in the balance.

"The education reform will not remain at a standstill," Dr Galea said when contacted by The Times.

This situation arose because the union wants an assurance that the ministry respects its rights as a trade union before it feels comfortable it can confidently renew the contact.

"We are not calling for our pound of flesh, but at least we need a clear indication and an assurance from the ministry that its reaction to our industrial action was an isolated case," MUT president John Bencini said when contacted.

The union was irked by the fact that when it issued the directive for schools to open one hour late on Thursday, the ministry appealed to the school heads' and assistant heads' sense of duty to report for work on time to ensure the students were safely ushered into school at the usual time.

The union saw this as a form of intimidation where the ministry was playing on the conscience of heads and assistant heads so as not to abide by its directive.

"The ministry's comments led to a case where one school head had to care for half the school, who showed up on time, and he ended up in hospital as a result of this undue stress," Mr Bencini said.

The union wants to make sure such an incident does not repeat itself. Mr Bencini is eager for the process of educational reform to continue - once the union gets the assurance it seeks - so that the reforms will be implemented in time for the new scholastic year.

When contacted by The Times to comment on this, Dr Galea said he thought that it had been agreed by both sides not to indulge in a game of ping-pong statements.

"It is very strange that you are asking me to reply, since in its last media release on Thursday the MUT said they will refrain from tit-for-tat comments. I do not think that enough time has elapsed for the ink of this sentence to dry," he replied.

However, Dr Galea went on to "strongly reject" the allegation that any intimidation had taken place or was ever intended.

"This is a gratuitous interpretation of the ministry's words and actions. It has always been, and still is, my style and practice to work through processes of discussion, dialogue and persuasion."

He added that the government's record spoke volumes about its absolute commitment and full respect of workers' fundamental rights and of the constitutional and legal provisions in the sphere of industrial relations.

The two sides are also failing to see eye to eye on the disciplinary process that a 14-year-old boy, who had punched his 24-year-old geography teacher, should undergo before returning to his school at St Joseph Lyceum, Paola.

Until an agreement is reached the union will not lift its directive - that once the boy returns to school all teachers at St Joseph Lyceum are to refuse to have any form of contact with him.

The boy was expected back at school on Thursday but he did not show up in the past two days and Mr Bencini said that from the information he had the boy remained under the guidance of a social worker and psychologist.

The union said that had its proposal been accepted none of this "chaos" would have happened. The union had proposed that the boy be put under the guidance of a multi-disciplinary team for as long as necessary, then once the team felt that the boy was ready, he would be placed in another school for the duration of this scholastic year before returning to St Joseph Lyceum come October.

Why was the ministry insisting that the boy goes back to the same school immediately? Was it a wise move for the boy and his geography teacher to be back in the same class?

But Dr Galea asked: "Since when is it acceptable that a union makes the proposals affecting the educational management of a 'particular boy'?

"Who is best placed to do this, the minister, the union or the school and the competent education authorities? It is not a matter for union proposals - multi-disciplinary support has been, for quite some time, a routine service offered to students who would benefit from it.

"It is not at all a question of 'reasoning' or 'insistence' on the part of the ministry. It is not up to the minister to 'stop short of accepting' that this boy returns or not to his school."

He added that the National Board of Good Behaviour and Discipline in School, following its investigation and evaluation of the case, confirmed the suspension decision and concluded that the boy was to continue his schooling at St Joseph Junior Lyceum.

The board had also backed the school's decision that the student would remain suspended from the geography lesson and therefore from attending any lessons by the assaulted teacher, not to exacerbate the situation.

"The union wants the ministry to supersede the board's decision," Dr Galea said.

"For the ministry it is an issue of principle that disciplinary measures are not taken by the minister, but by the competent education authorities at the school, and in serious cases by the board. The 'chaos' you are mentioning is about this principle."