Former Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that the dismissal of Mario Mallia from headmaster of St Albert the Great College “because he wanted to set up a social cooperative to enable disabled people to run the school’s canteen” sends the wrong message to education, the Catholic religion, politics and society.

In a post on Facebook, Bartolo said Mallia wanted to create an environment where people of a different culture and religion are brought up together showing respect to each other.

Mallia’s dismissal went public on Tuesday, with the college board and rector saying Wednesday that termination of Mr Mallia’s situation within the College is the result of various managerial and procedural issues, which have been accumulating over a period of time and which regrettably remained unresolved.

Bartolo said that he has known Mallia for many years and considered him as one of the best headmasters he knows.

He said he admired his values and exemplary behaviour in politics as a member of Alternattiva Demokratika, with his commitment for social justice, human solidarity, freedom and environmental protection.

Mallia has always been committed to creating a climate of respect between students, educators, parents and society.

His work in today’s world is necessary if we want to learn to live together rather than attack each other.

“How can the Dominican Priory, set up by St Dominic who believed in the value of humility and not of the sword, use the sword to behead an educator who believed and lived this humility,” Bartolo said.

He called on the archbishop to take the necessary steps to reverse the termination.