The Malta Union of Teachers is proposing the setting up of a public sector entity to cater for educators in primary, secondary and post-secondary schools, leading to what the union called a “parity of esteem” of the different groups.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, MUT Marco Bonnici explained that MUT is celebrating its 100 years of service, throughout which the union brought about numerous changes in the educational system and conditions of work of educators. 

He said that MUT has achieved parity of esteem between female and male educators, parity of esteem between primary and secondary school educators, and also parity of esteem between educators in the vocational stream and educators in the academic stream at post-secondary level. The MUT now wants to go one step further.

“We are looking beyond these changes, as we focus on the primary, secondary and post-secondary educators. We need to focus our priority on these educators, towards their conditions of work, wages and allowances of these educators.”

He said that the proposal is named Education Malta, the idea being to transform the educational sector. “Currently educators fall under public service, and we wish to start exploring this new model, where our educators are run by an entity specifically responsible for the sector.”

He explained that the principle is not a new one, as currently MCAST, ITS and University of Malta are all public sector entities. “Therefore MCAST, ITS and University of Malta have their own entities, with their own agreements and financial packages which is not a copy of the public service one. We are exploring whether we can do the model for our sector.”

MUT is presenting this proposal for nationwide discussion whereby the union expects to generate mature debates about the needs of the sector in order to provide a long-term vision for education. MUT will also enter discussions with the respective authorities and stakeholders to discuss this proposal and explaining the implications of the proposals to its members in the coming weeks.

MUT stand with their statement that hiring foreign teachers is ‘taking the easy way out’

As this week sees the start of a new scholastic year, journalists asked MUT president Bonnici his opinion that the government are looking into hiring foreign teachers. As stated in the recent interview with The Malta Independent, Bonnici said that MUT stand with their statement that hiring foreign teachers to tackle with the shortage of teachers is far-fetched.

“Currently there have been no updates whether or not this is happening, and from the feedback we have received from teaching staff and parents is that the government is re-thinking this proposal, and currently there is no indication that the government will be taking this proposal.”