Tuesday, 28th April 2009 - 09:44CET
Church schools strike called off
The Malta Union of Teachers said today that it had called off the teachers strike in Church Schools, due to have been held on Thursday.
It said it had taken its decision after agreement with the Church authorities during a meeting yesterday. The union said pending issues on the renewal of a collective agreement had been settled.
The strike at government schools is still on because there have been no developments in that sector, the union said.
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Comments
Unfortunately it is very risky for teachers to attempt to teach “values” these days because “values” are officially considered purely subjective (and therefore valueless or even potentially dangerous) even by certain high ranking officials in the Education Department and the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta.
Teachers could land themselves into big trouble if they teach particular values without permission or if they teach concepts that are considered important and crucial by several reasonable and well meaning but perhaps “old fashioned people” like me but which are considered bigoted and unethical - if not downright illegal – by other people or powerful stakeholders.
For example I am in favour of actively teaching children and teenagers concepts such as the need and duty to do one’s best for oneself, one’s children and society in general by, among many other methods:
1. Learning as much and as fast as one possibly can at any time of one’s life
2. Learning subjects such as first aid, science, environmental studies and primary health and safety in addition to one’s favourite academic subjects and crafts ….(to be continued)
3. Working and paying taxes BEFORE getting married and having children.
4. Having children only if you and your partner have good reason to believe that both you and your partner are sufficiently committed to each other as well as to doing whatever it takes to bring up children well.
5. Having children only if you and your partner are reasonably physically, mentally, emotionally and genetically healthy
6. Doing all one can to enhance and preserve one’s own health as well as the health of any future offspring and grandchildren one might have
7. Treating breastfeeding as a child’s fundamental right
8. Being aware that certain products which seemingly make life more pleasant and comfortable such as mobile telephony, wi-fi , certain preservatives /detergents/ cosmetics/ hair dyes etc. are not only causing a lot of environmental harm but actually resulting in a greater incidence of disease as well as in a greater incidence of children being born with special needs
9. Being aware that most toxins, teratogens and lifestyles are neither gender neutral nor politically correct in the way they effect individuals……….(to be continued)
10. Choosing your partner very carefully in order to reduce the chance of future problems and heartache for yourself, your parents and any children you might have and that the chances of problems increase if you choose to marry a person from a culture which is grossly different from yours.
However I know for sure that if I were to be a teacher and attempt to teach (or even imply in any way) such concepts in any type of school in Malta – be it private, state or church institution – I will risk ending up much less popular than I already am, if not in court and perhaps even in jail for any one or more of the following reasons:
1. Criticizing the “new” college system that practices mixed ability teaching and abolishes streaming and setting
2. Instigating racial hatred
3. Imposing my own ideas
4. Preaching, practicing and/or instigating discrimination
5. Showing disrespect and/or insensitivity towards handicapped people, teenage parents, single parents, children of single/divorced/separated parents and people from other cultures etc.
6. Causing harm to some business or industry……….(to be continued)
7. Demonizing products and services that have not yet been proved harmful for everybody beyond any shadow of doubt because “Up to now there have only been a few published studies that have demonstrated an association between so-and-so product and so-and-so undesirable health condition”
Incidentally I am only a parent and have never yet been an officially licensed teacher in any school. But I realize that - because of present legislation, our over permissive culture and rampant freedom of irresponsible, malicious and unethical marketing and advertising - it has never been as crucial to teach and repeatedly preach valuable concepts at home as it is to-day.
all i can say is try reading my comment properly.... I AM A TEACHER all be it of sports and in a private school. SO I AM well aware of the extra hours we put in at home by way of preparation and planning THANK YOU! my son has been studying all year .. with a learning disability he needs every last second of support he can get at HOME and SCHOOL
IF YOUR KIDS START EXAMS ON MONDAY AND EXPECT TO STUDY ON THURSDAY - ITS BAD PLANNING
You are not the only working mother on the island. When mothers choose to leave their jobs and stay full time with their kids it their choice of PRIORITIES.
As discussed by many people on this blog, you parents should back teachers in their quest for better working conditions. If you really envy this job why not become a teacher. That way you too can benefit from the unlimited resource of unexplained reasons why teachers grumble about their jobs.
Students are the ones which will benefit most if the teacher's demands are met with (e.g. more autonomy for schools).
Thanks for your comment I do have a sound and lovely relationship with all my children
I don't see them as a burden they are the reason of my existence.
@ silvia parnis
However, I fear that your prejudices would just make your daughter more less educated than you pretend to be
What are you trying to say????more less educated ???
I am not pretending to be educated if I was I wouldn't be wasting time writing comments
and by the way I will try the best I can to spend my whole entire life with my daughter .As YOU put it so educationally...
Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as you. Many parents have children in order not to be left behind and feel inferior to their neighbours. Otherwise, they simply don't feel any inkling to have a good time with their children - they buy them games, a computer in their room, a tv set in their bedroom, ... and make sure that they are out of their way most of the time. How's that for upbringing?
Before discussing education it would be better for you to start writing in grammatical English rather than an sms one!
don't get me wrong. I'm a housewife and decided to dedicate all my time to my son. It's my pleasure to have my son with me for a whole day.
The thing is that us parents are not given much info about this strike, weather we should take our children to school or not. It's not a good timing for a strike as our children are preparing for their exams and are really tight to finish all the syllabus on time.
Definetely, if you think that it is a waste of time of sending your children at school, you can spend your whole entire life if you want to with your daughter and not just a single day. However, I fear that your prejudices would just make your daughter more less educated than you pretend to be.
"Teachers, you are the ones who teach values.."
Can you please tell us if you have children. If yes do you soly depend on the teachers to teach values.....don't you teach your children any values.
I am not a teacher, but how is it that everytime someone orders a strike hell breaks out.
I think that the minister of education should look into this matter and if the agreement hasn't been adhered to she should take action and rememdy and not leave everyone dangling till thursday.
Also, i wish to say that it's not only the school building that makes better students but teachers above all. So we should take good care of this prefession.
Teachers, you are the ones who teach values..then learn this...the world has become a liquid environment, full of changes.. and if ur not ready to accept them, i'm sorry but u need to figure out something else. Everyone else in the world (teachers or not) need to get used to changes, and all we ever hear is just complaints cuz nobody checks the bigger picture.
For everyone that doesn't know what strike means ; is your fundamental rights ,and also consists of a whole day without wage when you strike a whole day and at that moment you are looking for your rights to be gained . nifsud i think when you are going to do a strike nobody will be happy,or maybe someone will not be FREE of his children at the day of the strike!!!!!
anyway... have class in twenty minutes and I am going to spend it discussing the importance of respecting one another... and I am going to look for the spark in their eyes... and I will know that I am doing the right thing!!
That having been said, I think that many comments here are politically-motivated.
Would you support a strike if it was your husband who was striking for his rights mifsud?
Would you post the same comment if your husband or you yourself was a teacher?
Why are you calling this strike stupid. Don't teachers have every right to fight for their rights and for a better environment where they can work? After all, even the students will benefit if these demands are accepted.
I hope this one day strike will not cost your child his future degree in rocket physics!
It is quite irritating for many parents indeed as they seem to consider schools as a legitimate means of babysitting. Children do not miss out on learning for a day - just a few hours of 'formal' education does not mean they are missing out on learning. Learning is something that is ongoing, in school and out of school. If your son/daughter will be spending a day with you, take the opportunity of spending some quality time together, go to a library and go over some books together - don't leave education soley up to teachers.
there will be nobody with our children so the best thing is to keep them with us.
Its a shame that the students will be losing a whole day just because of this stupid strike!!!!
As they say, it takes two to tango.