A Żabbar primary school classroom has become unmanageable, with some pupils believing they cannot be disciplined, after their teacher received a warning for making a boy kneel down in the playground to be laughed at.
The six-year-old’s parents “are apparently, and separately, threatening the teacher, the school and the college with a media press conference”, the Malta Union of Teachers said in a notice published on its website over the weekend.
It described the whole situation as having become “untenable” and has instructed its members not to speak to the child’s parents. Furthermore, if the situation does not resolve itself by tomorrow it will direct its members “to leave any classroom where the child in question is present”.
An Education Ministry spokesman said the school had done everything possible to assist the boy and his parents after the incident. This included bringing in a counsellor, psychologist, learning support assistant and an anti-bullying team.
He said the teacher had never had any such problems and was competent at her job. She had made a mistake for which she apologised and had received a written warning.
MUT president Kevin Bonello said since the incident the situation had deteriorated and the teacher was not being allowed to move on and do her job.The situation was out of control, he said, as the teacher was dealing with a classroom that had about five children with behavioural problems.
The incident led to a situation where the boy felt the teacher could no longer discipline him. Other children in the class had picked up this attitude – making the class unmanageable.
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