Update 5.37pm - Principal replies

An open day at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School has been cancelled after the teachers' union ordered teachers not to attend what it called an "academic market." 

School head Gaetano Calleja told Times of Malta that the open day had been intended to "act as a window into the school for prospective students to get a taste of the environment." 

He denied the Malta Union of Teachers' claims that the event had become an "academic market" creating competition between departments, rather than a showcase of the work the school and its teachers were doing. 

The MUT had claimed that the headmaster imposed the open day, for the second year running, without any consultation or consensus being sought. 

He ignored the union’s appeal to discuss the matter with staff and take a democratic decision and also ignored an order from the director general of the Education Services Directorate, the MUT said.

Mr Calleja completely denied this, saying it was a "complete fabrication."

"There has been constant communication with central authorities since the issue was brought to my attention," he said in a statement. 

The union has also called on the Education Ministry to investigate whether Mr Calleja abused his position when he called for the withdrawal of a teacher’s warrant, after the teacher took an initiative to change a question in a class-based test. The case, which had cost €3,000, had been thrown out by the Teachers’ Council, the MUT said. 

Mr Calleja also called this claim "incorrect".

"The Higher Secondary has achieved good performances in the past years and holds a remarkable record in results," he said.

"My primary role as a head is to help staff and students alike by enabling a positive environment which serves the community and the further development of our youths, both in terms of values and in their academic results."

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