MUT to seek legal advice on demoted teachers
The Malta Union of Teachers is to seek legal advice after nine newly recruited teachers were officially informed today that they were being considered as supply teachers.
The teachers had already started teaching when they were informed that their application to become regular state school teachers had been rejected because their university re-sit results were submitted late by the University.
The circular informing them of their new status was dated October 17 but was received today.
MUT President John Bencini expressed his disappointment, telling timesofmalta.com that this meant that these teachers would see a drop of €888 in their salary in their first year. They would also miss out on the annual €447 increment and their job could be terminated at any time.
The MUT, Mr Bencini said, would be taking legal advice about the matter, but it was positive that Education Minister Dolores Cristina had told Labour MP Evarist Bartolo in Parliament that the ministry would be doing its utmost to persuade the Public Service Commission to accept these teachers as regulars, if necessary by issuing a new call for applications.
The MUT first raised the case on Monday when it explained that these teachers successfully sat for re-sits in June. Their papers were corrected on time by University academics but since the results were published late, they were not considered valid.
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Marco Debono
Oct 23rd 2008, 18:47
So listen to this Mr.Bencini,
This is the first time I am delivering this message, but I believe you should be updated about how much B.Ed graduates finish University without finding a job and unfortunatley finish doing something else!!. I believe you only speak for those who join the MUT which to a certain extent I believe is one of your policies, but I still believe you should cover every teacher's interest.
While "suddenly" you are trying to protect these students, who happened to be my fellow course mates, me and some other fellow mates are currently waiting to be recruited in a government school.
I believe these graduates should not have been given the job in the first place because they failed their exam, or at least they should have been given the opportunity to be employed IMMEDIATLEY as supply teachers.
To a certain extent I am sorry for them, but I am also angry about the fact that 9 women happened to fill the italian vacancies because of their Pregnancy leave....
John Grima
Oct 22nd 2008, 17:50
It seems to me that the Education department are following the rules and time scales laid down for everybody to adhere to. If, as stated in this news item, the University published the results late although they had been ready in good time, then the fault lies with the University Authorities and any dispute or claim for loss of earnings should be made against the university. All the Education Department is doing is following the rules as laid down. Had they done otherwisae we would have correspondents complaining that there was some sort of favouritism.
Mark Gauci
Oct 22nd 2008, 17:10
As far as I know the MUT itself that ordered the university staff not to publish the results last June. Was this the cause of the delayed results?
Muscat Peter
Oct 22nd 2008, 16:51
@Dolores Cristina
We are not doing too well in the Education Ministry, are we now!
This Ministry has a history of gaffes and injustices and the sooner she grabs the bull by the horns, the better meritocracy we shall have in Malta. Her recent article 'A tale of two lives' could be followed by another article 'A tale of two weights and two measures' or 'A tale of two citizens - one Nat, one Labour.'
C.Camilleri
Oct 22nd 2008, 16:40
Everyone including the oppositions MPs call on the Govt not to interfere with decision taken by heads of Depts . this only hold good so long as that decision is to our likings. Please Evarist and Cristina leave these alone to do their job.