I was absolutely disgusted with Ms Maria Caruana’s vicious attack on teachers and the teaching profession (TMID, 7 January). I am sure she would “give anything to have the number of holidays” that teachers reputedly enjoy! But together with the so-called holidays, she must also be prepared to expect the rest that comes with it from the teaching profession, including the teacher’s salary.

Many schools organise Christmas examinations, and as a result, many teachers go home for their so-called holidays with corrections to do and results to assess. Do you call those “holidays”?

With regard to the number of holidays given, schools are allowed to organise their school calendar as they want to, as long as the legal number of hours of teaching is respected.

I can only speak for myself: at our school, we had 10 free school-days and these included Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Of course, weekends do not enter into the equation. This is the number of holidays that Ms Caruana is writing about.

Many teachers, voluntarily, organise activities for their students – again, Ms Caruana would call these “holidays”.

Many other teachers, also, during these “holidays”, prepare exam papers, etc.

In her conclusion, Ms Caruana longs for the day “when schools will remain open till 5pm and teachers kept there to take care of the students so as to encourage more women to work”. Ms Caruana, if you have children, you have them because you wanted them; since you wanted to get your children. Now, you have to lump it and it’s your responsibility to look after them and not that of the teachers. Your children are yours – so, you stay with them and don’t try to shed off your responsibility of being with them!

If you want a nanny, put your hands into your pockets and find one and pay for her services! We, the teachers, will not play nanny!

You have no idea what school and education are all about – certainly, education is infinitely much more than merely “taking care of the students”. That’s your job as a parent, not ours!

Franco Farrugia

Pieta