A post on Facebook advertising free lessons has angered the Union of Professional Educators.

The post was uploaded by Audrey Demicoli, a Labour Party candidate.

"What does it take to become a professional teacher? Not much, according to Audrey Demicoli, who is an Infrastructure Malta official and a PL candidate for the third electoral district," the UPE charged.

The Union of Professional Educators (UPE) is appalled by her recent Facebook post. 

In an affront to all professional educators, Demicoli advertised for free private benchmark mathematics lessons for students in Years 6 and 7 (Form 1).

The UPE cannot understand why Demicoli has assumed the role of a 'teacher' when she  is not in possession of a teacher’s warrant. The mentality and image that Ms Demicoli has promoted among the general public is that anyone can be a professional teacher. That is a perception that is completely misleading and poses a threat to the educational sector. 

Common sense tells us that if you know how to use a tape measure, that does not make you an architect; if you engage in an argument, that does not allow you to call yourself a lawyer and advertise legal services. A teacher, like other members of the professions, dedicates years of training at the University of Malta, followed by ongoing training that has keep them updated with the latest methods. 

So, the pertinent question is whether Demicoli should carry on pretending to be a teacher, the UPE said.

With the interests of not just our members but all teachers in Malta holding a warrant, it is the UPE’s responsibility to ensure that the Education Minister Hon Justyne Caruana and the Council of Teaching Profession take the necessary steps to stop such abusive practices. The Union also calls on the Partit Laburista to instruct Ms Demicoli to cease immediately her activities in this field.