The Malta Union of Teachers said today that it is clear that the government’s priorities in the education system are “not right”.

Referring to a report in The Malta Independent on issues pertaining to the Santa Venera primary school, the MUT confirmed that the school leadership and educators did their utmost in ensuring that the necessary maintenance of the building is carried out.

Interventions required at this school are clearly beyond the ordinary plastering and require specialised personnel, the union said.

Parents had complained that maintenance work had not been carried out, and that they had offered to do the work themselves, a suggestion that was refused.

The upkeep of buildings affects not only the working conditions of educators but also the learning environment of students, the MUT said. Yet, and this is a common occurrence in a number of schools, the priorities in education are not right.

Whilst the ministry has forked out millions in the setting up labs for new applied subjects, boasting about them through costly campaigns being held daily, other schools including the said classroom in Sta Venera primary were left in a dilapidated state.

The MUT renewed its appeal to the educational authorities to carry out an audit of all school facilities in Malta and Gozo to initiate a comprehensive plan leading to the upkeep of the facilities.