Some 70 teachers were given warrants directly by the Education Ministry despite not having any pedagogy training, Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello said this afternoon.

Addressing a news conference while presenting the MUT's proposals for the reform of the Education Act, Mr Bonello said this was due to a clause in the Education Act, introduced in 2006, allowing the minister to give a warrant at his own discretion.

One of the proposals is in fact for the removal of the minister's discretionary powers when awarding warrants.

The union said warrants should only be awarded by Council of Teaching Professionals only to those trained in pedagogy and ethics.

Mr Bonello said the union proposed the introduction of a three-tiered warranting system for teachers, lecturers and post-secondary educators, and educational assistants.

The warrants should be handed out by purposely set up sub-councils within the Council of teaching professionals, the union said.

Another proposal was for teachers, rather than parents, to get the final say on a student's educational choices. However, parents should retain the right to "opt out".

The proposals also include the introduction of minimum security features for schools and a mandatory "one-size fits all" student behaviour policy as well as guidelines to combat negligence and parental abuse.

Asked whether the proposed banding would result in the labelling of students, Mr Bonello said labelling already existed in mixed-ability classes.

The solution to student labelling, he said, was smaller classes. The union was not opposed to the introduction of the measure but called for a constant analyses of the situation.