A teachers’ union has ordered 14 directives among its members at state and Church schools to pressure them to go fully online after Malta confirmed 1,009 active COVID-19 cases.

As per the directives, UPE members working in middle and secondary schools have been instructed not to accept any changes to their timetable or work schedule, not to collect money on behalf of the school, not to use their own equipment for work purposes, and not to accept any delegated work from the school management.

They have also been told not to check students’ bags or possessions, not to attend any meetings, appointments or conferences outside school, not to stay with sick students who are sent to the isolation room, and not to collect students’ homework if they report sick.

Members of the UPE are not to be obliged to take temperatures and check on masks at entry points and have been instructed not to livestream their lessons.

Meanwhile, LSEs have been told not to conduct observations of students who are at home or take part in Individualised Education Programmes and MAP reports involving these students since they can’t physically observe their abilities.

Peripatetic teachers who are functioning as class teachers and who are members of the UPE are to refrain from submitting assessments related to Learning Outcome Frameworks.

“We are shocked at how the government is allowing our educators to continue performing their duties without considering the, now obvious, threat they are being subjected to,” UPE executive head Graham Sansone said.

“The union firmly believes that stricter measures need to be in place and need to be enforced at all times, and insists on the necessity of going online completely, as soon as possible, so as to contain the spread of the virus, which cannot be described in any other way if not out of control, at this point in time.”

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