Education Ministry files judicial letter on UPE directives
The ministry says that the directives issued by the UPE go contrary to the agreement reached between the ministry and MUT
4 February 2021, 8:05pm
by Nicole Meilak
The Ministry for Education has submitted a judicial letter to the Law Courts in connection to directives issued by the UPE.
In a statement released this evening, the ministry announced that they submitted an official letter to the First Hall of the Civil Court, saying that the directives issued by the UPE go against the agreement reached between the ministry and MUT. This agreement safeguards the education offered to children and students in our schools, the ministry stated. The Ministry continues to call for in-school learning and for this not to be hampered by actions that do no good in these circumstances.
Prime Minister Robert Abela’s idea of postponing the upcoming mid-term school holidays, usually held over carnival, has been shelved after the teachers’ union rejected it.
On Wednesday, Abela said it was his “wish” to postpone the mid-term break so that children could stay at school and the number of new COVID-19 cases did not spike.
Abela made his remark in line with recent comments by the Superintendent of Public Health, Charmaine Gauci, that the opening of schools meant that families went out less and therefore mixed less, reducing the risk of infections.
In comments to Times of Malta on Thursday, Education Minister Justyne Caruana said the idea had been put to the Malta Union of Teachers but it turned it down.
Prime Minister Robert Abela has said he would like to see schools postponing the upcoming carnival holidays to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by keeping children in schools.
He made the remarks during a news conference where fresh COVID-19 mitigation measures for the month of February were announced.
“If it was up to me alone, that is what I would like to see happen,” he said.
Schools traditionally take a two-day break in February so that families can enjoy carnival festivities, which are cancelled this year.
Asked by
Times of Malta whether the government was looking at cancelling the holidays, especially since it had recently argued keeping children in schools kept the number of new cases down, Abela again said this is his “wish”.
Prime Minister prefers postponing carnival holidays, unions shoot down idea
Prime Minister Robert Abela says he would like to see carnival holidays postponed to another date but the Malta Union of Teachers and the Union of Professional Educators shoot down the proposal
27 January 2021, 2:50pm
by Laura Calleja
Robert Abela says that if it were up to him alone, the school carnival holidays should be postponed to another date
Prime Minister Robert Abela has floated the idea of postponing the upcoming carnival holidays to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep children in school.
But his personal wish was immediately shot down by the Malta Union of Teachers that insisted the school calendar was a matter decided in the collective agreement.
[ANALYSIS] 365 days of Abela: Leaving a mark in adverse times
From his unorthodox way of expanding his talent, to forays in civil liberties, Robert Abela has so far avoided the curse of those overshadowed by larger-than-life predecessors. JAMES DEBONO identifies five traits that suggest the MP is becoming his own man
26 January 2021, 8:53am
by James Debono
Robert Abela is the third prime minister in Malta’s post-independence history to take the reins of power from a sitting PM – the others having been Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who took over from Dom Mintoff after the constitutional crisis brought about by the 1981 election result; and Lawrence Gonzi, who took over from Eddie Fenech Adami after EU accession and left the PN deprived of a uniting battle-cry to keep liberals and conservatives together.