I refer to the letters by Joseph Micallef and Franco Farrugia (TMID, 17 August). I wish to make it clear that my letter, Teachers and the Environment (TMID, 15 August) was not solely addressed to teachers. I quote what I said: “...wouldn’t it be wise for the majority of teachers and other employees such as facilitators, to start making use of the school transport provided?” So, teachers should not take it that personally.

Also, I was not referring to public transport in general, but purely to their school transport. However, it’s not the first time that I use public transport, and therefore avoid problems of parking. If there was any form of transport specifically to take me and my colleagues every morning to work, I wouldn’t mind using it at all.

Imagine avoiding all the stress involved in driving and parking your car, when instead you can just sit down, read a book, and let the driver take you safely to the very near door step of your work. Great!

I am not interfering in school employees’ private time. I am just giving suggestions which I humbly feel are beneficial to the environment.

Honestly, I have faith that these professional people truly have the powers to educate our young children. I really cannot understand why these two correspondents are so much on the defensive! Everyone is free to do what s/he likes, after all.

Mr Farrugia finds it “unbelievable” to understand that “transport of teachers to and from schools is affecting the environment”. My reply is: seeing is believing! From the very first day that school ends till the end of September, driving during the morning rush hours is no longer a nightmare.

Maltese schools do not operate on similar grounds as UK schools, where summer holidays are only limited to the last weeks of July till end of August. So, in Malta we are more in a position to attribute the transport of school employees (with all due respect) to pollution, because shutdowns and holiday-makers are usually concentrated during the month of August.

Carmel Micallef

Fgura