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.
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Joe Fenech
Jul 11th 2010, 19:57
Sue them all Josefa!
Don't settle for anything less than 500,000 E ! You've got a good case there. Take them to the European Courts if need be.
simon cutajar
Jul 9th 2010, 22:23
Get well Miss Sammut ! you are very good person and Love your job and the students ! wish you all the luck and win this case . simon cutajar
Fenech M D
Jul 9th 2010, 18:48
I agree with the teacher. Child assessments take far too long. What amazes me is that when children are taken to private clinics, appointments and assessments do not take longer than a couple of months. Considering that these are the same specialists, I sometimes wonder if they take too long on purpose.
It took 3 years for my child to be assessed at CDAU, but only a couple of months privately, but spending hundreds of Euros for the services of Specialists.
Anne Farrugia
Jul 10th 2010, 11:09
Fenech M D, you said it yourself, you spent hundreds of Euros...that is the answer...the specialists get paid peanuts by the departments concerned...naturally they see the $$$$$ the private patient is paying and attend to that asap...it is the same all over the world believe me...
Joe Fenech
Jul 11th 2010, 19:59
Typical of state doctors who delay in order to force people to go private.
CORRUPT BANANA REPUBLIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!