MUT president Marco Bonnici: “We just hope it is not another forum for further discussion but then we fail to address the issues.”

The Malta Union of Teachers was not informed in advance about the national board of compulsory education proposed in the Budget speech, this newspaper has learnt.

The board, planned to be set up next year, will be made up of public and private school representatives, parents and MUT members, according to the Budget.

It is set to promote teaching beyond secondary school and other institutions, the idea being that post-secondary schools would enter into partnerships with industry.

“This will broaden education beyond traditional teaching,” Finance Minister Edward Scicluna told the House on Monday.

“We just hope it is not another forum for further discussion but then we fail to address the issues,” MUT president Marco Bonnici said.

The board’s remit also failed to address long-term planning in education, he noted.

The Budget only “mentioned previously-known facts” ignoring the “shortcomings” in the education sector, the MUT said in a statement.

Unattractive working conditions and the shortage of teachers and learning support assistants should have been top priority for the government, it remarked.

Lack of response from the government over a new sectoral agreement for teachers at Mcast

The MUT again complained about the lack of response from the government over a new sectoral agreement for teachers at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Institute of Tourism Studies.

Mr Bonnici last week warned of industrial action over the matter.

“The government is working with the MUT to reach an agreement that will benefit teachers,” Prof. Scicluna said in his Budget speech.

However, Mr Bonnici said the Education Ministry had not yet got back to the teachers’ union.

“We have heard many nice-sounding words over the past few weeks and now we are asking the government to move from words to action,” the MUT said.