Robert Abela Meets Teachers’ Union Over School Reopening Dispute As Bernard Grech Blasts His ‘Incompetence’
Prime Minister Robert Abela, Education Minister Justyne Caruana and health authorities are set to hold an urgent meeting with the Malta Union of Teachers today over the planned reopening of schools.
The MUT announced this meeting today, shortly after warning it will issue directives if schools reopen tomorrow, stating it has been informed that the health authorities have advised the Education Ministry to keep them closed.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader Bernard Grech has accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of “playing with the health of children and educators”.
“I’m following the developments related to the opening of schools and I’ve made contact with the Malta Union of Teachers and the Union of Professional Educators to listen to their concerns,” Grech said.
“It’s because of Robert Abela’s incompetence, lack of planning and insensitivity that uncertainty has returned on the eve of the planned reopening of schools. Just as when he told us that waves are in the sea, the Prime Minister is acting as if it were nothing.”
“The Prime Minister should stop playing with the health of children and educators and should immediately stop ignoring the advice of the health authorities.”
Plans for schools to reopen tomorrow after the Christmas holidays have been thrown into doubt following a spike in COVID-19 cases, with 224 new cases confirmed today, a record daily rise since the start of the pandemic.
Church schools will teach online tomorrow and Friday and could continue teaching virtually until Wednesday if the trend in daily COVID-19 cases remains high.
Some independent schools have also gone online out of their own initiative.
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