The Malta Union of Teachers said that it has this morning raised its concerns with the Ministry for Home Affairs, Law Enforcement and National Security, Ministry for Health and Ministry for Education and Employment about what it says is “the false information being issued regarding Covid-19 cases in schools.”
According to the union it is causing, “unwarranted chaos when parents leave their respective workplaces in panic to pick students from schools following the issue of such news.” This is besides the “psychological impact on educators, students and families,” it added.
In a statement, the MUT said that it is aware that there is a lot of speculation and as the union representing the majority of members in all sections, it is highly concerned about the damage that is being done to educators, students and families.
As a professional organisation, the MUT said that it has “never made any public statements about cases and we will clearly not join this charade of speculators.”
“The closing of schools in March, and their re-opening during these days, has been a struggle and the preparatory work by educators to re-open schools is unprecedented,” it said.
The MUT added that whilst doing its duty to protect educators, it has worked hand in hand with the Education and Health Ministries during this difficult period.
The MUT went on to say that it is “with this spirit that it has requested the concerted efforts of the various Ministries within government to stop this speculation and to take the necessary actions to safeguard the interest of educators, students and families who have the right to attend schools without fear.”
The union reminded its members that “instead of speculation on social media, the MUT has requested that the government creates a clear and consistent official policy known to all regarding information about positive cases in schools.”
The MUT concluded by saying that it “expects the government to have its communication procedures in place to inform affected educators, students and parents immediately and to ensure that all respective health measures are taken right away.”