MALTA - Zero tolerance on aggressive behaviour in schools – Educators enduring aggression do not feel supported

The MUT launching two new services and will not hesitate to issue directives to protect its members

During the past weeks the Malta Union of Teachers has seen a rise in the number of reports from members experiencing aggressive behaviour in schools. This led the Union to run a survey to understand better the situation and to take the necessary measures. Whilst results do not constitute scientific data, the outcome of the survey, whilst not surprising, is very shocking and portrays the experiences of a considerable number of educators.

When questioned whether they experienced aggression at their respective schools in the past two years, 87% of respondents confirmed that they experienced it. 23% of respondents claimed that they experienced aggressive behaviour on a daily basis whilst another 23% claimed a weekly frequency of aggressive behaviour being experienced. When questioned who the perpetrator in the aggressive situations was, 75% of respondents mentioned students, 29% parents, 12% colleagues whist 9% mentioned superiors. 60% of respondents claimed that they reported the aggression, meaning that the rest did not report. Respondents were also asked to describe their experience, and situations experienced ranged from aggression on school premises, outside school and through online communication. Experiences can be categorised as verbal or physical aggression and include threats, foul language, biting, scratching, hitting and throwing objects.

During a press conference, MUT President Marco Bonnici stated that “the information received is of great concern and should be a wake-up call to educational authorities and employers. One common factor shared by most respondents is helplessness, while the general feeling seems to be that educators in our schools do not feel supported, with many even claiming that some schools try to minimise and hide their concerns and incidents. Another recurring situation of aggression involves students with tantrums, which might shed light not only on situations that involve educators but also on parenting in general. In fact, verbal abuse from parents is also rampant, and sometimes students behave in a similar way to their parents with learnt behaviour from the home environment.”

In view of this, the MUT is sending a clear message to educational authorities that it will not tolerate that educators continue to endure aggressive behaviour. No justification whatsoever shall be acceptable in all aggressive situations and the Union shall be issuing directives to members who suffer such situations to protect the educator and other students in class. The Union is also launching two new services for members who experience such situations. The first is an SMS emergency line to report aggressive behaviour and receive the appropriate assistance. The second is the provision of a psycho-social service from qualified personnel. Details about these will be communicated directly to the members of the Union.

The MUT concluded with reiterating its appeal for proper security measures in schools to protect educators at their workplace, including the continued presence of a security officer in schools and the strengthening of Police presence at the beginning and end of the school day when students are going in and out of the school. This will not solve all present issues, but it would be a good start. Meanwhile the results of the study conducted by the Ministry on security measures in schools are  still being ignored.

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MALTA - JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARIAT FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION & THE MALTA UNION OF TEACHERS

This Collective Agreement also includes specific parameters regulating practices in Church Schools such as recognition of regular service, as well as exams and other assessment practices adopted by the different schools. Although the Church Authorities are still negotiating funding from the State, Learning Support Educators and Kindergarten Educators are further benefitting from the reassurance of being provided with a laptop for the first time at par with other Education Grades.

Following intense negotiations, the Church Authorities and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) have agreed on a Collective Agreement for Church Schools which will be effective from 2018 until 2022. The signing of this agreement was presided over by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, today, at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana.

The Collective Agreement will affect all educators working at the Secretariat for Catholic Education and in Church schools in Malta and Gozo. They will benefit from an improved financial package with revised salary scales, allowances and work resources, better working conditions, structures and opportunities at their workplace.

Many of the provisions of this agreement have been adopted from the Sectoral Agreement signed by the MUT and the Government in December 2017. This also includes provisions such as progression and training initiatives, the new grades of Learning Support Educator 3 (LSE 3) and Kindergarten Educator 3 (KGE 3), structures for time in lieu, and added leave.

On behalf of the Secretariat for Catholic Education, Fr Charles Mallia commented:
The Church Authorities are pleased to have concluded this new collective agreement with MUT in time to prepare adequately for the coming scholastic year. Church schools have already started implementing parts of this agreement including the financial package, and have also made the necessary arrangements with Education Authorities to provide the required staff for the coming scholastic year and those following it. Although this agreement reflects the sectoral agreement between the Government of Malta and MUT, it has been adapted in a way that respects Church Schools ethos, identity and autonomy. Superiors and Heads of Church Schools have contributed in this process. The Secretariat for Catholic Education and the Church Schools Association are confident that this new agreement brings significant benefits to their educators, and will hopefully result in a better holistic educational experience for students in Church Schools.

Malta Union of Teachers President Mr Marco Bonnici commented:
This collective agreement for educators in Church schools endorses and adopts the improved conditions of work and financials achieved through the Sectoral agreement signed between MUT and the Government in December 2017. It includes specific provisions to recognise the uniqueness of the Church school sector and the level of autonomy of respective Church schools. In the past thirty years since the date of signing of the first collective agreement, the Church authorities together with the MUT had a central role in the reorganisation of educational grades to ensure the parity of esteem of educators with their counterparts in State schools and to recognise the specific service of educators in Church schools. The MUT takes pride that negotiations on this Collective Agreement were carried out in a spirit of mutual recognition of the role of Educators in Church schools and an equal recognition of the role of Church schools in the educational provision to thousands of students attending, from kindergarten to sixth forms, in Malta and Gozo.

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The collective agreement has been approved by the absolute majority of respondents through a vote amongst members of the Malta Union of Teachers working at the Secretariat for Catholic Education and in Church schools following continued consultation with members throughout the process.

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UPDATED: The MUT is pleased to announce that the Church-MUT Collective Agreement is being made available online to members following an agreement with the Church Authorities. In the coming weeks the MUT will continue to explain in more detail what the agreement means in practice and the spirit in which the MUT negotiated and obtained the outcomes found in the agreement.

Click HERE to proceed to the Members’ Area of the website.