A petition to keep Mary Rose Mercieca as head teacher of the Mellieha Primary School is doing the rounds on the social network.

The petition says that Ms Mercieca has been heading the school for the past academic year (in an acting position) but has just been informed she will no longer remain head.

"We believe that this change is not motivated by the best interests of our children," the petition says.

It includes a letter to the Ministry of Education, the ministry's Permanent Secretary and the Director General for Educational Services, urging them to reconsider their decision and to leave Ms. Mercieca as Head of our school.

In their letter they say:

"We measure the success of Ms Mercieca’s one year term based on the feedback that our children give us. The Mellieha Primary School community has during the past year thrived and flourished for the benefit of our children.

"We fail to understand the motivations for the removal of a Head of School who has just completed successfully one year of leadership.

"We are extremely disappointed that your ministry fails to appreciate the negative impact and unnecessary disruption that another change in the Head of our school will have on our children’s education.

"We are extremely worried when we hear that this change is being done to make way for someone who was promised this post. Such a decision cannot be motivated by the best interest of our children."