Teachers are being encouraged to report any aggression or inappropriate behaviour on a new portal, which all report to be followed up by the Directorate for Educational Services.

The government said on Friday that the some of the reports made on the portal, www.edu.gov.mt/support, could be published at the end of each scholastic year.

The Education Ministry was reacting to a report by the Malta Union of Teachers on Thursday which said that nearly nine out of every 10 teachers told their union they have experienced aggression at their school over the past two years.

At least a fifth, or 23 per cent, claimed they experienced aggressive behaviour daily, while another 23 per cent said they did so every week.

Three quarters of those who experienced such behaviour said the perpetrators were students,

The ministry said that €280,000 had been allocated in the last budget for security systems, with training programmes in places for staff, complemented by the Employee Support Programme already available for all civil servants.

It reiterated is zero tolerance approach to aggression, and said that current penalties would be harshened.