Education Ministry Tells Teachers Comment Approval Policy Dates Back To 2008
The Education Ministry has informed state school educators that a government policy requiring them to seek prior approval before speaking in the media.
Permanent secretary Matthew Vella yesterday issued a new circular in an attempt to “ensure clarity and simplicity” in the procedure.
He referred educators to a circular that the Education Ministry sent way back in 2008, under a PN administration.
“We are receiving requests from schools about the direction they should take with regards to media communications,” the 2008 circular said.
“It is positive that the media is giving importance to education and that the public is being informed and educated about issues related to education.”
“It is therefore important that our messages are coherent and reflect the established direction. I remind you that all media communications must take place through the concerned directorates.”
“Any employee who is invited to provide a comment or contribute to an article in their professional capacity must discuss this with the concerned directorate. To facilitate the process, we would like you to send an email about the subject and context of the invitation in advance.”
In September 2024, the Ministry issued a longer circular clarifying that educators must seek prior approval from their line manager in writing before making public appearances related to the education system, in line with the Public Service Management Code.
The 2024 circular said that if approval is granted, educators must ensure their comments reflect the ministry’s policies, guidelines and objectives and that they should avoid “statements perceived as politically biased or compromising the educational system’s neutrality”.
They must also ensure the content they discuss is factual, based on current data, professional and aligns with educational priorities and they should avoid promoting their personal opinions, political ideologies or any content unrelated to education.
The issue arose when teacher Joanna Mallia criticised the new O Level system on Jon Mallia’s Il-Każin debate show without seeking prior approval from her superiors.
Her school’s headmaster confirmed that he had asked her whether she had requested approval but denied that he intimidated her in any way.
However, during the same debate, Education Minister Clifton Grima insisted that teachers don’t need to seek permission from their superiors if they want to express an opinion. He said the circular was issued to ensure that teachers who speak about the national education strategy are properly informed about its contents.
Shadow Education Minister Justin Schembri denounced the circular as an attempt to “censor” educators.
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