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Click here to download latest MUT Circular - No.5

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Click on Education Circulars below to download:

Expression of interest for the post of KG (1) - Circular HRD 19-2008

Call for Applications

St. Clare's College -

Assessing Very Young Children Seminar

The MUT has been informed by various members that St. Clare's College has been issuing personalised letters to various members of the teaching grades of the college to attend a seminar taking place on the 28th of August 2008, during the summer recess.

The letters in question, copies of which have arrived at the Union offices, put undue pressure on staff to attend this 'voluntary' seminar by implying that lack of attendance will result in lack of support towards the college in its initiative for the benefit of younger students.

Furthermore the members of the teaching grades involved in these seminars are being asked to phone the Principal's Office to confirm or otherwise their attendance by Friday 25th July.

While the MUT is in principle in favour of all initiatives taken to train and enhance staff education the Union objects strongly to organisation of seminars during teaching grades' deserved break, and above all objects to any undue pressure exerted on staff to attend such seminars.

Thus the MUT would like to inform all its members in St. Clare's College, or any other college, that attendance to such seminars is purely voluntary and that there is no obligation whatsoever to phone any office to notify that one cannot attend.

The MUT will also be writing to the Education Directorates to request an explanation on the subject in caption.

SUMMER SHUTDOWN AT MUT

The Teachers' Institute at Valletta will be closed between the 4th and 22nd August (both days inclusive). MUT officials will be on leave
As follows:

JOHN BENCINI (President) - 4th to the 29th of August

KEVIN BONELLO ( Senior Vice-President) - 28th July to 22nd August

FRANKLIN BARBARA ( General Secretary - 4th to 22nd August and 1st to 5th September

The above officials may still be contacted by mobile.

John Bencini on 99450405

Kevin Bonello on 99458134

Franklin Barbara on 99488368

A well-deserved rest for all teaching grades
by John Bencini

Another scholastic year has passed. Hundreds of students will be moving from primary to secondary and from secondary to tertiary education. Latest statistics show that 66 per cent of our students are now moving on to tertiary education, an improvement compared to the last years but not good enough when compared to EU standards. We are still far from what the Lisbon Agenda expects of us.

Hundreds of students will be moving to Sixth Form institutions, the Junior College, the Institute of Tourism Studies, MCAST or university. A number of our students will also be trying their luck abroad, mostly in European countries. Teachers and students alike had to work very hard to be successful. We are living in a very competitive world and Malta in no exception. One just has to take a look at the hundreds of our young 10 or 11-year-old pupils sitting, or rather competing, for a place in a Junior Lyceum school or Church secondary school to realise what stress and anxiety are all about. Malta is the only European country where students of this age are subjected to such unjustifiable stress. Teachers are facing the same music too.

For many years now, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has been stating that schools should be a safe, healthy and propitious place for teaching and learning. Schools are the workplace of teachers, but they are, primarily, educational institutions for young students. Stress can thus be harmful not only for all teaching grades, but can indirectly harm the pupils and put at risk the quality and efficiency of the education provided. A case in point is St Benedict College. We have a three in one system there, where Foundation (ex-Opportunity Centres students), Area Secondary Students who failed their Junior Lyceum exams, and Junior Lyceum Students are all under one roof. This system, a pilot project for many years now, obviously needs to be re-assessed. This new system is a real challenge and the management team and all teaching grades have been doing their best, notwithstanding the serious lack of support. Teachers there are up in arms; they are stressed to the limit and have recently approached the MUT and the authorities for support, comprehension and understanding. Some teachers are expected to teach two or more levels with an exaggerated number of syllabuses and different Forms. Teachers are also expected to furnish teaching material to Foundation Year students as the Directorate does not provide it.

According to an MUT survey, the greatest stress on teachers is related to the organization and processes, workload, working intensity, class-sizes and, at times bad school management. Unacceptable pupils’ behaviour has been ranked as one of the main causes of stress in schools. It is well known that violence, harassment and bullying in schools are important issues that must be dealt with. In the last MUT survey, 95 per cent of teachers reported that unacceptable pupil behaviour has seriously deteriorated over the last five to 10 years. Teachers have also reported that practically nothing has been done to start tackling this problem. No wonder the MUT has been criticizing the authority that practically nothing has been implemented that was agreed on in the Reform Agreement signed a year ago. For many years, the MUT has been pleading with the government to appoint security officers in schools to prevent violence and attacks on teachers but again this has been ignored.

Of course, other work situations could be a source of stress. Teachers sometimes complain that they do not have enough time in the working day to do non-class contact work. Classes with a wide-ability range are a problem too as teachers feel they cannot spend time with individual pupils. The MUT is also aware that recently there has been an increase in teachers’ administration form-filling duties. Teachers are frequently asked to fill in surveys and this seems to be never-ending. Teachers then have to face poorly motivated pupils and the demands of the syllabuses and their length and depth of coverage is also never-ending. Teachers are also there to maintain values and standards. The demands of the State examination system is another burden. As a result of all this, teachers feel de-motivated; their career is unfulfilling; they feel tired and lack energy; they sometimes feel unhappy and depressed and they may feel they are losing confidence in themselves as teachers and also feel isolated from their colleagues,

The MUT has, over the past years, been insisting on smaller classes, the implementation of the Reform Agreement, less class contact, the reduction of content in syllabuses. Teachers expect recognition for the extra work they do. Teachers often complain of lack of communication and consultation, lack of proper support, and often feel they are totally left out or even given the cold shoulder.

Yes, a teacher’s job has really become a stressful one. No wonder Malta like other countries will be facing a teacher shortage as teachers are leaving their job. We now even have a problem of retaining teachers.

Teachers have to face pupils whose parents are not always supportive and there still is a lack of support for students with social problems. Teachers have to work in a system where there are ongoing changes in the education sector. The performance of the school and teacher is now being subjected to school audits. Teachers are being subjected to a yearly performance rating report. Sometimes they feel that society undervalues them. Some are unable to “switch off” at home while others feel responsible for the welfare of individual students.

The challenge of preventing and tackling work-related stress is consequently an issue for employers in education. There is furthermore a legal obligation for employers, under the European and National laws, to take action on stress and in particular take the necessary steps for a suitable risk assessment at the workplace. This risk assessment is the most appropriate process for managing work-related stress. One must identify the hazards at the workplace, as well as who and how they can be harmed, before taking the appropriate actions to prevent, reduce and eliminate stress among teachers.

What are the authorities doing to prevent all this? What are they doing to prevent and tackle work-related stress?

University and Junior College Collective Agreement

A series of long meetings have been held on the Collective Agreement of the Academic staff of the University and Junior College. In view that substantial progress has been registered it is envisaged that negotiations on the financial package will soon commence.

MUT COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS
2008 - 2011

SECTION A (PRESIDENT)
Bencini John 1720 Elected
Micallef Debono Anthony 523

SECTION B (PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS)
Bonello Kevin 1897 Elected
Debono Rita 1566 Elected
Mifsud Rosemary 1656 Elected

SECTION C (SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS)
Bonnici Marco 1107 Elected
Borg Mario 1114 Elected
Casaru Anthony 1330 Elected
Cassar Joanna 1149 Elected
Catania Rita 1231 Elected
Cilia Randall 1105 Elected
Debattista Alfred 911
Galea Jason 972 * Elected
Grech Charles F. 941
Germani Elaine 1005 * Elected
Micallef Tracy 1105 Elected
Wright Karl 1339 Elected

SECTION D (POST-SECONDARY SECTOR)
Sultana James 1758 Elected

SECTION E (SPECIAL SCHOOLS SECTOR)
Randon Christopher 1696 Elected

SECTION F (UNIVERSITY JUNIOR COLLEGE ACADEMIC STAFF)
Gauci Pulo Cettina 1520 Elected

SECTION G (UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC STAFF)
Vella Anthony 1673 Elected

SECTION H (PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHERS)
Dimech Carmen 1613 Elected
Decesare Raimonda 1607 Elected

SECTION I (INSTRUCTORS IN STATE SCHOOLS)
Vella Giovanna Antida 1625 Elected

SECTION J (HEAD OF SCHOOL - PRIMARY)
Grech Norman 1666 Elected

SECTION K (ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL - PRIMARY)
Mifsud Joseph 1634 Elected

SECTION L (HEADS OF SCHOOL - SECONDARY)
Debono Maria 1051 Elected
Micallef Debono Anthony 810

SECTION M (ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL - SECONDARY)
Agius Victor 589
Buhagiar Marie 665 Elected
Zammit Josianne 598

SECTION N (HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)
Borg Louis 1482 Elected

SECTION O (KINDERGARTEN ASSISTANTS)
Cefai Mary Rose 1546 Elected
Spiteri Axiaq Doris 1520 Elected

SECTION P (LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANTS)
Fenech Ninette 641
Housley Mary Carmen 820 Elected
Spiteri Angele 355

SECTION Q (STUDENT SERVICES)
Farrugia Maryrose 1576 Elected

SECTION R (RETIRED MEMBERS)
Fenech Joseph 1652 Elected
Mangion Carmen 1590 Elected

Elected from other sections (The candidates MARKED with an asterisk have been elected in accordance with Rule 16(e) of the MUT Code of Rules).

GOZO MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE


Votes

Attard Joe M. 127 Chairman
Borg Frans 119
Borg Mario M. 121
Grech Pauline 133
Vassallo Antoine 124