The MUT President, Kevin Bonello, resorted to the MUT’s official Facebook page to launch an attack on those who are disagreeing with the distribution of books about gay and lesbian sexuality in schools. I will not enter into the merit of whether these books should be distributed in schools or not. What I am interested in is the wording used by the MUT President in his attack on Ivan Grech Mintoff, leader of AlleanzaBidla.
What I found most distressing is Bonello’s phrase that anyone who will investigate those teachers supporting this issue “se jsibni ninżel fuqu bħal tunnellata ġebel”. This phrase, which is not even in literal Maltese, can be translated as “is going to find me coming down on him like a ton of bricks”. My critics should note that the words - the stoning of the opponent - no longer belong to religious diction and have now become the vocabulary of the so-called local progressives,imitating or being influenced by self-proclaimed democratic countries, whose concept of human rights leaves much to be desired.
This phrase does not befit a union president whose members pride themselves of being part of Malta’s professional body. It is an unwarranted aggression normally associated with proletariat unions.
Instead of making such type of irresponsible statement, the President of MUT should take up Grech Mintoff’s invitation and accept to participate in this Friday’s programme. Evarist Bartolo has accepted the invitation. This is what democracy is all about: discussion. Accusing those disagreeing with youon sexual education or any other subject without listening to what they have to say is tantamount to arrogance if not crass ignorance.
More importantly, Bonello is not the person to state what is moral or immoral. Most parents instinctively have sufficient acumen to make valuable judgement about what is good or not for their children. The worse thing that Bonello and the Government could do is to reduce sexual education to an ideological war.
The replies on the MUT closed group on Facebook are clear to everyone. Not all the MUT members are in sync with their President on the distribution of these books on sexual education in State Schools. As I stated, during the TV programme, the decision should be left in the hands of the parents. It is up to them to decide whether they want to impart this type of education or not to their children.
Moreover, labelling one’s opponents as homophobic smacks of Communism. The Communists used to silence their opponents by labelling them counter-revolutionaries. The Communists’ arch-enemies, the Liberals, used to rely on the police to frighten union leaders as they thought that their action hindered productivity. Now it is the turn of the Unions to rely on State legislation to silence their opponents.
In fact, I read more than a simple statement when the President of the Teachers’ Union questions whether those opposing him are homophobic. I read in this a call for possiblepolice prosecution as homophobia today is a crime in most countries including ours. In the past, those who did not want to follow the teaching of the Church were branded heretics or renegades and persecuted by the Inquisition. The modern state is still caught in this typology. Ironically, most of those who preach diversity want to impose a monolith education. In reality, the impression that one gets is that the President of the Union of Teachers only wants his vision of pedagogy to reign in Malta. At the same time, he wants to use the secular court to achieve his purpose. The implications here are extremely dangerous. The worst thing that could happen to unions is to turn themselves into militant political organizations.
I am saying this as in all this debate I cannot but see a connection with the new role that the ex-MUT president, John Bencini, has in Helena Dalli’s ministry. Dalli’s position on this matter is well known. She is all out in favour and is pushing for the distribution of these books in state schools. This episode has put the Education Ministry in political difficulties, as a section of rank and file Labour,unexpectedly haveopposed the distribution of these books. In such a scenario, it is not difficult to understand why Bencini’s successor is taking such a stand that has nothing to do with trade-unionistic matters. If this analysis is correct, then, one is right to conclude that MUT is nowbeing run as aclan, certainly not an apolitical one as a Teachers’ Union should be. Teachers should not be coerced to indoctrinate school children with the personal views and latest whims of any Union leader.
The MUT president should have learned from history. When unions started to meddle in politics, instead of sticking to union business, they did more harm to their cause than good.
Teachers in Malta are the sole sector that has witnessed regression in their status. Unfortunately, Bonello’s statement does not help to enhance the teachers’ social prestige. Until a few decades ago, teachers ranked in importance with the village lawyer, the doctor and the parish priest.If they are not on the look out, teachers are at risk of losing their professional status because this type of behaviour is judged suspiciously by the other constituted professional bodies.
As for the issue on sexual education,this is beyond the remit of the Union of Teachers. I have no problem with Bonello speaking his mind on the subject and I will support his right to do so provided that he does so in his personal capacity. The problem arises when he uses his role within the Union to threaten his opponents.
It is this type of political stand and unwarranted statements that are harming the gay and lesbian cause and not those citizens, who are demanding to have a say in the sexual education of our children. I am sure that many gay and lesbians are behind the majority of the Maltese on this point since they oppose all forms of sexual indoctrination.