‘A Stain On Malta’s Education History’: Roberta Metsola Blasts Prime Minister’s ‘Bullying’ On First Day Of Teachers’ Strike
As a planned teachers’ strike kicked off this morning, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola took to social media to put Prime Minister Robert Abela on blast condemning him of “bullying” Malta’s educators.
“Today is a stain on the history of our country’s education history,” Metsola wrote. “The biggest victims of this government’s hard headedness are the teachers. With them, the students and the parents are also suffering.”
“Instead of finding a solution, the government closed the door in the educators’ face,” she continued in a post just before 9am.
“This is nothing but bullying from the prime minister on thousands of teachers who, every day at around this time, would be welcoming so many thousands of students in schools around Malta and Gozo.”
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“I’d like to express my solidarity with teachers and students at this time, and appeal to the government to stop stomping its foot and get around a table to discuss this with good will to deliver what was promised – investing in education and offering a worthy future to our country’s teachers,” Metsola finished.
Just yesterday, with less than 24 hours until the teachers’ strike kicked off, Prime Minister Robert Abela criticised the plan and ongoing directives, claiming the action was “militant” and unfair on students.
“We put forward a very strong proposal that provides justice to our education,” Abela told a political activity yesterday. “We discussed and discussed and we even went for an official reconciliation process [with the Malta Union of Teachers].”
“We haven’t reached a deal yet but I don’t believe it’s right for so many young children to suffer, particularly when we have issued such a strong proposal that will really improve the work conditions of educators and which is stronger than the collective agreement of five years ago.”
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