The Malta Union of Teachers has denied a claim by the Ministry of Education that a prefect of discipline has been engaged in terms of an MUT-government agreement.

The union said in a statement today that following its complaints yesterday about violence against teachers at Naxxar boys' secondary school, the ministry said a prefect had been engaged in terms of the agreement and was working for a solution to the problems at the Naxxar school. The MUT said that according to the agreement, prefects of discipline had to be engaged following a call for applications open to teachers with eight years teaching experience in a licensed school and to persons with relevant qualifications at degree level.

These calls for application have never been issued notwithstanding the MUT's pleas. Instead , in a hurried attempt to try and calm the situation in this particular school, the Ministry contacted a retired ex-assistant Head of School and asked him to give a helping hand.

"Evidently this is an ad hoc arrangement following the MUT's strong warning of further action," the union said.

It said it did not doubt this person's credentials but this was definitely not the way forward.

"The MUT, once again appeals to the authorities to start dealing with this problem in a professional manner as stipulated in the Reform Agreement," the union said.