Teacher injured in crayon incident claims employers did not ensure her health and safety

A teacher who was injured when a five-year-old boy stabbed her with a crayon in the eye is claiming her employers did not ensure her health and safety at work and failed to address the student's special needs, which had been identified since he started attending the school.

Testifying in the compilation of evidence against the Education Ministry in the Civil Courts, Birkirkara primary school teacher Josefa Sammut, 32, said the authorities failed to address the boy’s major needs and violent behaviour despite the danger this posed to both teachers and pupils.

Ms Sammut is claiming that as a result of the incident she suffered permanent damage in her right eye.

MUT secretary general Franklin Barbara testified that the school wished the teacher well and that her medical condition would improve but as far as they were concerned they had done all they could.

Mr Barbara noted that because it took very long for a child’s evaluation process to be concluded, whenever a child exhibited problem behaviour, the child was left in the class to the detriment of the teacher and the child.

The case is also against the general director for education services and the principal of St Theresa College, of which the school forms part.