A move to centralise all State schools’ photocopying at the government printing press has teachers fearing a “bureaucratic nightmare”.

The move came after the government suddenly decided to enforce a 1995 rule of the Office of the Prime Minister stating that all printing by government departments must be done by the government printing press.

The printing press falls under the Prime Minister’s direct control.

The Sunday Times of Malta revealed last month that OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri netted €287,000 through his company Kasco from the supply of paper and machinery to the government printing press.

This new system means that hundreds of thousands of euros worth of photocopies will eventually be carried out at the government printing press.

Questioned if Kasco currently supplies photocopying paper to the government printing press, or intends to bid for such contracts in future given the new demand that will be created thanks to the policy change, a government spokesman said the OPM had nothing to do with the decision.

“Moreover, the government printing press also adheres to procurement regulations, and Kasco Group would be subject to an open and transparent tendering process, as explained in my other replies and which you published on Sunday, April, 29.

“I had also explained to you that revenue derived from government procurement for the supply of paper has not varied from previous administrations,” the spokesman said, in replies sent from the Prime Minister’s private e-mail server.

The same replies were sent 40 minutes later from a government server.

The system is currently being piloted at a Żejtun school. Teachers there said they were expected to order photocopies from the printing press three days in advance.

They complained that the system was hampering their ability to quickly adapt their lesson plans and respond to students’ needs.

One teacher, who spoke to this paper on the condition of anonymity, said the project was tantamount to government interference in their work.

“Teachers need to be flexible and able to adapt their work for students at short notice. Now they expect us to order all photocopies three days in advance. It comes across as government interference in our work.”

Contacted by this newspaper, Malta Union of Teachers chief Marco Bonnici said that members had reported a number of logistical difficulties in the implementation of the new procedure.

Teachers need to be flexible and able to adapt their work for students at short notice

The MUT has held initial discussions with the Education Ministry to address the issues, Mr Bonnici said. He expects the ministry to evaluate the project before pushing it to other schools.

The MUT is not excluding taking action should the procedures result in added workload on members or in unnecessary bureaucracy.

One senior source in education warned of the potential for bitter resentment over the move, fuelling the perception among teachers of being treated like clerks as in the days prior to the decentralisation of the 1990s.

A spokeswoman for Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said the ministry, together with the government press, had taken the initiative in order to continue improving the quality of the service for schools and students.

Following the pilot project, a memorandum of understanding would be drawn up to cater specifically for the needs of State schools, she said.

The service being proposed took into account both the pre-planned education resources and the daily and ‘emergency’ needs, which would be provided for on the day.

“All schools have already received good quality work through the government printing press as this scholastic year both the school diaries as well as the school examination papers have been printed at the GPP.

“Feedback from schools was very positive and service qualified as excellent, efficient and very good quality. The MOU will ensure that this service is of high quality and follow good governance,” the spokeswoman said.

jacob.borg@timesofmalta.com

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