Assaulting members of staff, throwing waste at teachers, attending schools not wearing the school uniform, kicking doors open, vulgarity and harassing educators has become the rule of the day at San Gorg Preca College (Liċeo) in Ħamrun.
The situation has become so intolerable and uncontrollable that teachers and LSAs are today reporting to school one hour late, as a cry for help aimed to make the authorities more aware of the situation.
A number of Liceo teachers have spoken anonymously to The Malta Independent to explain the situation they are facing on a daily basis.
“Students walk in a classroom other than their own during lessons, shouting out and bullying students, to the point that we have had to lock classrooms, in attempt to complete a lesson. Teachers and caretakers have been surrounded by ring leaders and have had waste and bread soaked in water thrown at them. One student who was dismissed stood up and hit a member of staff repeatedly, until he had to be physically pulled back. Teachers’ orders and corrections are confronted with vulgarly and obscene gestures. Students are piling up on other students in the corridors and in the lavatories and students chant vulgar songs between lessons,” the teachers tell us.
Over the past months, several police reports against these students have been filed, however no criminal charges have been pressed against them.
Teachers said they have become concerned about their physical and emotional safety while at school, because bad-tempered students are quick to resort to physical violence, either against educators or their peers. “Parents of well behaved students have also become concerned about the safety of their children and who can blame them? We’re not even feeling safe ourselves,” the teachers said.
Older students are playing truant, leaving the premises and then returning when school finishes to catch the transport back home. Some of the misbehaved students who have been placed on suspension enter the school premises wearing casual clothing as if nothing ever happened. Others fail to attend their own lessons and go round the school, attempting to re-enter the classroom when they please, they added.
It seems that the attitude of these students worsens when teachers attempt to correct them. They confront the educators’ correction by using foul language, teachers are sworn at and called names, while the students incite others to follow suit. “I've had such behaviour even when I asked students to follow me to the principal’s office, and teachers are unable to leave the class because what happens remains the teacher’s responsibility,” one teacher said.
To make matters worse, some parents have chosen not to be cooperative and some have even supported their children’s actions. Educators have realised that a student’s behaviour is a reflection of those supposed to be leading by example. Parents have told off teachers who contacted them to report their students’ misbehaviour - some have even walked up to the headmaster and challenged him themselves. Others are sending their children to school with torn uniforms, or without the school uniform whatsoever. It is useless trying to enforce discipline if parents are setting up an example which goes completely against it. There needs to be continuum from home to school, upholding the same principles, the teachers said.
In addition, students use their parents to try and intimidate educators. “Students bring their mobile phones and expect teachers not to ask them to refrain from using them, they even challenge teachers by calling their parents!”
Educators are well aware that they are often met with criticism from those claiming that they are unable to enforce discipline or assume authority in their own classroom. “We’ve become accustomed to receiving criticism and attacks on various fronts. Most hold the idea that teaching is the easiest, most relaxed job in the world with many holidays. But teaching goes way beyond simply conveying knowledge, our profession is a vocation, and we are genuinely concerned for the well-being of all our students. Schooling is the make or break of an individual - the fulcrum for a human being.”
The teachers stressed that they are not reporting to school one hour late out of selfishness, or for personal gain, but rather, as mere cry for help to the authorities to provide the school with the means and resources to be able to enforce discipline and to ultimately, create a safe environment for all.
Addressing a press conference outside the school on Monday, President of the Malta Union of Teachers( MUT), Kevin Bonello, described the situation as intolerable and incontrollable. Mr Bonello explained that this secondary school is not the only academic institution subject to such incidents; however, the situation there has blown out of proportion because a good number of students are coming from a difficult social context.
In comments to this newspaper, education minister Evarist Bartolo admitted that the problems concerning students which are surfacing are much worse than one would imagine. “We agree with the measures being put forward by the MUT and we intent to support them. However, we must acknowledge that some of these students are lonely, angry and broken up and therefore we are attempted to reach out to them. We are responsible for the children, even if they are posing such problems. These childrensimply create problems to spite their educators - there are reasons for such anger and attitude.”
In a statement this morning, the MUT said that the one-hour industrial action held this morning at the San Gorg Preca Boys Secondary School (Liceo) Hamrun was a success. The directive was in fact followed by over 99% of all educators working at this school. Meanwhile, the MUT saidthat CCTV cameras and an intercom are being installed after its insistence.
Looking forward, the Union can confirm that it has a reconciliation meeting with the authorities next Tuesday. Until its outcome further directives will be suspended. The MUT thanks all educators at this school for working together and hopes that the strong message given by them will make a clear point that abuse at the place of work will no longer be tolerated by anyone. The Union will persevere to make sure that its members’ right to conduct their teaching in a safe and acceptable manner, along with the students’ right to learn, is secured.
File photos used with this story