State schools have been informed not to request learning support assistants on standby since there are none available, according to the Malta Union of Teachers.

A brief circular, received by schools, simply informed them there was a lack of LSAs (who help children with learning difficulties), union president Kevin Bonello said.

This meant there were no LSAs on standby in case a full-time LSA was sick. As a result these children may not have continuous support, Mr Bonello said as he called on the Government to tackle the situation.

Speaking on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, Mr Bonello listed a couple of pending issues that remained unresolved a week after the start of the scholastic year.

The new reforms brought with them added bureaucratic systems that could be avoided. One example was the process teachers had to go through when applying for special, or unpaid, leave.

Some schools still lacked clerical and cleaning staff, he said. Just yesterday a learning centre, which dealt with students with behavioural problems, reported it had no cleaner.

Mr Bonello called on the Government to ensure heads of schools were allowed to do their job with dignity. There were instances when college principals interfered with the running of schools, he said.

He spoke about the need for consultation with school staff before important decision were taken and delays in the processing of career progression requests made by teachers.

On a positive note, Mr Bonello said the Government had done a great job in handling the transfer of teachers from one school to another and the union welcomed the rate at which new schools were being built.