There are basically three angles in a triangle and to a child’s academic and social success at school. It’s about the child, the parents and the school.

The government, the Malta Union of Teachers and a host of others are responsible for the latter. Genes, family lifestyle and a host of other elements around parenting quality and the type of society we inhabit today, are the triggers for the first two.

The MUT may or may not be over-reacting in the case of a child who hit a teacher, and has ordered its staff not to communicate with the said child.

The real point though is will this improve the current unacceptable levels of verbal and physical violence towards teachers, particularly in state schools?

Or is this more about a union sending a signal to its hard pressed members that it is going to take a stand? The trouble is the MUT can’t take a stand against bad parenting, or low achievement, or personality problems or any of the other factors.

So the MUT is applying a hammer to crush just one fly and saying look at me. I’m doing something about the problem. While millions of other flies continue to buzz around unhindered of course!

It won’t in reality make a jot of a difference, and eventually the child will have to be taught, or receive some form of schooling from someone. It also sends the wrong sort of signal about our teachers when we hear they will not have anything to do with this child who, yes, did something wrong but this is hardly bringing down the twin towers! Who knows how many nurses and doctors at our incredibly hard pressed Casualty at St Luke’s Hospital have been threatened or worse?

I don’t see the nurses and doctors refusing to treat the same patients? Only God knows how many times staff at our polyclinics (thank-you Mosta polyclinic, where you see some of the most tired doctors and nurses anywhere in Malta) are not appreciated for their great service and patience. It’s tough but it’s their job.

Of course, teachers should not have to face violent pupils in an ideal world but whose world is ideal? They can’t withdraw their services, just as the government doesn’t say no more long school holidays because many teachers are not delivering, take an inordinate amount of sick leave, or because our illiteracy levels are a disgrace and growing.

Or because more and more kids are leaving school with no skills no qualifications, no anything.

Of course, this is not just the teachers’ fault. It is also the fault of disinterested parents, of Playstation and computers, of a general lack of discipline everywhere.

Like it or not teachers are there to teach. Schools are there to provide a safe atmosphere for learning to take place. It is, of course, totally unacceptable, as has happened in recent cases, that parents who disagree with a teacher storm in and thump them. But when two people have an altercation, one is not automatically totally right or the other totally wrong.

Very, very many of us would react similarly if say a warden grabbed us by the scruff of the neck and frog marched us to our car to show us how badly we had parked it! Very many of us react similarly when a policeman or woman unfairly tries to bully us. We all react badly if we feel power is being abused. Most of us though are well brought up enough, or controlled enough, to just react verbally. Others, if someone as much as lays a hand on them, lash out violently, and sometimes uncontrollably.

It’s very important when you have power not to abuse it. Respect has to be earned and not just assumed because you have a uniform or a certain position. I suspect too many of us can’t handle power here?

There are some schools in Malta where there are severe problems of discipline and more. There are whole schools where underachievement is the order of the day. Basically my daughter is going to have to work unnecessarily hard and pay too much of her hard earned cash in taxes, to support a no hope generation who will expect free housing, good dole, free healthcare and more.

It’s going to take a massive commitment from headteachers, parents and the kids themselves, with the backing and funding of the state authorities to turn this situation around in our worst state schools.

Not talking to one disruptive pupil is going to improve nothing for our teachers, for our kids and for the next generation who is going to have to support the no-hopers certain schools are currently over producing!

The triangle has to be dealt with intelligently, and as a union, that is where leadership must be demonstrated. All the angles of the triangle must be tackled, and not just one.