For the umpteenth time, I have to put thoughts into words and write in answer to yet another feeble attempt at teacher-bashing on the part of Maria Caruana of Mosta (TMID, 24 February).

This woman continues to rant and rave against teachers’ days off, writing from the top of her head, of course.

I have previously stated that the aim of Ms Caruana’s unintelligent letters against teachers has the sole purpose of arousing hatred against teachers and the work that they do. This latest letter of hers will certainly not leave any room for doubt, because it just shows the writer for what she truly is.

Ms Caruana never had the nerve to answer just one question: why does she not join the mythical (for her!) gravy-train that apparently (again, for her!) teachers are riding! Why doesn’t she embark on a teacher’s career? Come on, Ms Caruana: it’s never too late, you know. Then, you can start joining the profession of permanent holiday-makers who, according to you, make up the teaching profession.

This woman is so stubbornly unintelligent that she fails to realise that many schools have already had their mid-term examination papers corrected, marks sent in, results sent home! She is too unintelligent to realise that teachers are bound by a number of days within which this job needs to be done.

She is also too unintelligent to realise that teachers are bound by a set number of hours of teaching/contact hours, as stipulated by the State! It is then up to the school in question how the academic calendar is set, as long as that number of contact hours is respected.

But no, our Ms Caruana is a know-it-all as far as teachers are concerned – she makes out that they fill their time with idle chatter – her words, not mine! – and otherwise thinks that we, teachers, are nothing but a group of buffoons who have nothing better to do than gossip!

Well, all I can say to Ms Caruana of Mosta is: join this “privileged” teaching profession! Become a teacher. And then, you are welcome to this wonderful profession we have, where every single minute, every single hour, and every single working day – which are few, according to you – are spent “having coffees and talking politics”.

One last point: does Ms Caruana have children of her own at school? If she does, I sincerely hope that they don’t read her letters. A fine example THAT would be, about how they should respect their teachers!

Franco Farrugia

Pietà