A head of school in Gozo has been rapped over the way she allowed an assistant head to take special leave just before a mid-term holiday.

The leave was granted in appreciation for the volume of work which the assistant head carried out for the school in her own time during the summer holidays.

The subject was raised in Parliament by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, who asked if the assistant head at De Soldanis School could go abroad while on special leave.

Education Minister Dolores Cristina explained that the assistant head had been granted special leave linked to the mid-term holidays. The head of school felt that the assistant head was deserving of this special leave because of the hard work she had put in for the school during her free time in the summer holidays.

However, the agreement between the government and the Malta Union of Teachers provides that:

"Special leave shall cover leave for special circumstances, including any circumstance envisaged by any policy or regulations related to urgent family leave or on grounds of force majeure related thereto. This leave cannot be availed of just before or just after the holiday periods (Christmas, Easter, mid-term November and mid-term carnival) except in circumstances of urgent family leave."

Mrs Cristina said the head of school was told in writing by the director-general of educational services and by the college principal that what she had done violated normal practice and should not be repeated.

Replying to other questions by Mr Bartolo, the minister said that the medical certificates issued to three teachers at Ninu Cremona school who were then found to have gone abroad had not been issued by the wife of the head of school, who is a doctor.

She confirmed that one of the teachers is a cousin of the head of school.

The three teachers were suspended for three days without pay after the case was examined by a disciplinary board.