Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici.

Learning Support Educators (LSEs) were unaware that they would have to pay €250 for a mandatory 10-week course, it has emerged.

According to a circular sent to all college principals and heads of schools last week by the government’s Institute for Education, the LSEs will have to cover the expenses to take the course.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici said that this was the first time the government would be charging a fee for the course, noting that some employers offered refunds.

Mr Bonnici pointed out, however, that whether the government would offer any refunds had yet to be communicated to the educators.

Confirming that the union had already received a number of complaints from its members, Mr Bonnici said the issue with the new fee was not that it has been introduced but that the LSEs were not informed before taking up their jobs.

“The 10-week LSE course has to be done while an educator is already in employment and so there are those who are already working and who have no option but to sit the course.

The MUT would be following the issue closely and has already started gathering feedback

“It’s a different story for those yet to be engaged because they know from the onset what the costs are – but what about those already working? It’s unfair,” Mr Bonnici said.

The union, he went on, would be following the issue closely and has already started gathering feedback from its members.

Contacted about the matter, a spokeswoman for the Education Ministry confirmed that as of October, a new course would be offered to LSEs, developed by the Institute for Education.

“The number of course participants per group will not be larger than 25 and therefore they will get greater personalised learning and they will be have the opportunity to get more support from their tutors,” the spokeswoman said.

While confirming that a fee of €250 will be charged, the spokeswoman pointed out that the course was eligible for the Get Qualified scheme, which entitled successful course participants to get a 70 per cent tax refund. 

'MUT agreed to changes' - government

Mr Bonnici's comments did not go down well with the Education Ministry, which said he had agreed to the course conditions and costings in writing back on May 23.  

The MUT chief, a ministry spokesman said, could have simply explained the situation to union members who complained.