The Malta Union of Teachers have declared a trade dispute with the Dominican Order in Malta over the dismissal of headmaster of St Albert the Great College Mario Mallia.
In a press conference in front of the school in Valletta on Wednesday morning, President of the MUT Marco Bonnici declared that the union will be taking industrial action with the Dominican Order, the Secretariat for Catholic Education as well as the Curia.
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.
On Tuesday, news of Mallia’s termination brought support for the dismissed headmaster, who told The Malta Independent that instead of understanding the inclusivity initiatives undertaken by administration at the St Albert the Great College, an individual from the Curia filed a complaint about them which led to the school board putting them to a stop.
Bonnici said that Mallia’s dismissal was unacceptable, and condemned rector Fr Aaron Zahra, as well as the school board. He also declared that the union has no faith in the rector and appealed for the resignation of both the rector, who has now assumed the role of headmaster at the school, as well as the board’s members.
Bonnici said that the union will contest Mallia’s dismissal, and will implement directives to protect the school’s staff, which he said have already received verbal intimidation by the same rector.
The MUT deemed that the rector, who is not a warranted educator, cannot assume the role of headmaster of the school as announced by himself in a letter sent to parents of children attending the school, as well as questioned the role of the pseudo-board, claiming that neither the board nor the rector know how the school operates as they do not visit the school.
Bonnici also said that the education authorities must take action to see to it that the inclusivity and democracy practices in the school are not halted.
He held the rector as well as the school board responsible for the “damage it has caused for the children attending the school.”
An open letter was penned by the members of staff at the school, asking for the reappointment of Mallia as headmaster of the school. The letter also requested for a meeting with the provincial of the order Vince Micallef, “to discuss the recent worrying matters.”
They also appealed for the Dominican Order to speak up for what is just, as well as appealed for the concerned authorities, namely Archbishop Charles Scicluna to take action against the injustice.
A crowd of around a hundred protestors joined the union in front of the school, which included parents, teachers, and students of the school, showing respect for Mallia.