At the start of the scholastic year we start hearing about shortages in the education sector and how they are mitigated. There are always some creative ways of mitigating shortages, some of which find the opposition of the Union. Groups are joined, different levels are taught in the same classes, teachers are offered additional loads against compensation and a list of other measures. However a constant measure applied throughout all sectors is the employment of supply grades. I shall delve in this practice.

Some argue that if schools do not employ supply grades, hundreds of students would be without an educator. This is factually correct. Others say that if schools did not have the influx of foreigners experienced in the past years, by now the engagement of supply educators would not be required. This is a supposition and may be correct as well. Some say that the increase in the number of students requiring dedicated support is leading to the need for supply educators. Again it may also be correct. Others say that we never hear about supply lawyers, doctors and other professionals, so why are we still discussing supply educators. This hurts and clearly is an indicator that the status of our profession is not perceived at the expected level and not at par with other professions.

During discussions of a new sectoral agreement with the government there was one common position adopted by the MUT and the Education Ministry: that we need to incentivise supply educators in employment in schools to gain regular employment. This was our starting point and has been debated for several months during negotiations. The MUT has been insisting for years that whilst giving all opportunities to supply educators in employment, we need to reach a stage when no fresh employment of supply grades is required. We owe it to the profession and we owe it to the necessary quality of service to be provided to students. We both agreed that at this stage and with all the variables that affect the education sector it is impossible to establish a date when this would be possible. Even if we establish it, most probably it shall not be respected by future policy makers.

We focused our energy instead on the current cohort of supply educators and the way to incentivise them to reach regular status. We analysed numbers and trends before coming up with proposals. The government has been offering schemes in the form of tax rebates to incentivise employees to further their studies. The uptake of supply educators in such schemes is considerable. However we wanted to go a step further since these schemes refund a percentage of the tuition fees as rebates, and it is done upon the completion of studies. The new sectoral agreement signed in July includes a special provision for supply educators whereby the government shall provide free courses to supply grades to upgrade their qualification and obtain regular status. It shall be carried out through the existing educational institutions that fall within the remit of the Education Ministry and is the greatest financial incentive to date offered to supply grades to further their studies.

The sectoral agreement did not stop short of assisting supply educators, and this also includes regular educators who at the initial stage of their careers were engaged as supply grades. The years of experience of an educator as a supply grade are now being valued in terms of progression and allowances. This measure which has been debated for months and which is now part of the new agreement addresses the recognition of prior experience of educators. Because even if not possessing the required qualification to become a regular educator at the time, the years of experience of a supply educator must be valued and the contribution given to the education sector must be acknowledged.

The sector shall still demand the employment of supply educators but there shall be ample opportunities for supply educators to upgrade their qualification and to continue to provide their services as a regular grade, whilst their experience shall be valued.

Marco Bonnici is president of the Malta Union of Teachers