Union, ministry in serious clash over school visit

The teachers' union yesterday severed talks with the Education Ministry and the Education Directorates after its top officials were prevented from visiting a kindergarten.

The Malta Union of Teachers said its president and senior vice-president had gone to the kindergarten centre at Mosta Primary A to investigate long-standing reports of overcrowding. But in scenes reminiscent of the situation 22 years ago, they said, they were denied entry.

However, Education Minister Dolores Cristina rebutted the MUT's statements, saying there was never any intention to stop them from entering schools. However, on such matters there should be a clear policy which respected the work being done in schools.

She said she received a telephone call from the MUT president while she was at a meeting at Mcast in Naxxar.

The MUT president informed her they had been stopped from entering the school prompting her to ask if it was union practice to visit schools without informing the educational authorities and during lessons.

The minister then suggested the union and her ministry discuss the matter during a meeting being held tomorrow afternoon.

The MUT knew, Ms Cristina said, that she had always been willing to discuss any matter and had always been committed to addressing issues that cropped up.

The union said it had been complaining about the situation at the Mosta kindergarten for months and had raised the matter directly with the minister. Several union members had complained the rooms were so small and overcrowded that children's health and safety was at risk.

The ministry had always rejected the allegations, but union requests for a joint visit with department officials had never materialised, the union said.

When its own officials went to the kindergarten yesterday morning, they were informed by the Educational Services director general and Ms Cristina that the visit could not take place.

The union said Ms Cristina told MUT president John Bencini she had no policy for union officials to tour places of work in this manner.

The MUT strongly condemned this confrontational attitude and said this was a blow to all efforts to improve dialogue between the authorities and the union.

This reaction, it said, was typical of someone who had something to hide. It challenged Ms Cristina to immediately publish the plans of the kindergarten centre and the number of children per room.

It said it was stopping all talks with the ministry and the Education Directorates until it was satisfied its officials could freely perform their duties.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party condemned the ministry's "arrogance" which would lead to confrontation in the education sector, at a time when everyone should be working together for the benefit of students.