That the government is for the second year running yet to announce “serious and concrete protocols” for schools a few weeks before they reopen is a “social injustice” to students, teachers and parents in Malta and Gozo, the Nationalist Party said today.

By not answering crucial questions, such as about obligatory attendance; quarantine measures; protocols for effect of examination results, Prime Minister Robert Abela is still “hiding” and not giving any “peace of mind” to students, teachers or parents, the PN’s spokesman on education Clyde Puli said in a press conference.

He added that due to inexistent plans for the schooling system, the PL is “again adding unnecessary stress” to these parties that now, with two years of pandemic experience is not warranted, he said.  

In order to prevent further “chaos” in the schooling system − as resulted in the last scholastic year with strikes and industrial action taken by teachers and unions – Puli said the government should immediately hold “already overdue proper and serious consultation with all stake holders”.

PN candidate Julie Zahra added that the fact that some parents left their jobs in order to help their children with home schooling is unacceptable and needs to be seriously mitigated.

Asked by The Malta Independent whether Malta and Gozo should follow Italy’s example and not allow unvaccinated teachers and secondary school students to physically attend classes, Puli said that this issue needs to be addressed through a “currently non-existent balanced dialogue with all stakeholders especially the health authorities”.

Malta’s schools were shut in March 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 were detected. Schooling resumed online a few weeks later, although teachers had to adapt the content of lessons at the last minute to adapt to the new reality.