Respect towards educators is not only reflected in their salaries but also in the trust and freedom granted to them, ADPD-The Green Party said Saturday. It is contradictory to celebrate independence while requiring educators to seek permission to speak their minds.

At a press conference held on the eve of the new scholastic year, ADPD - The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci and Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia stressed that students deserve the best education possible, which requires that educators feel respected. While salary improvements last year reflected recognition of their work, true respect also comes from trusting educators to express themselves freely.

They criticised the Ministry of Education's insistence that educators seek permission before speaking publicly, calling it unacceptable-especially after the Ombudsman ruled against this policy. The Ombudsman noted that when critical thinking is lacking in education, silencing educators is especially damaging. ADPD argued that demanding educators follow ministry guidelines before speaking recalls colonial-era controls rather than democratic values.

The party's recent policy document, Green Over Greed - A Green Vision 2050, highlights freedom of expression and critical thinking as foundational principles in education. ADPD insisted that if children are to be nurtured as critical thinkers, educators cannot be restricted from sharing their own views. They described the refusal to withdraw the ministry's circular as a colonial mindset, unworthy of a democratic society that should encourage debate and independent thought.

ADPD also stressed inclusivity in education. Referring to a recent court ruling obliging the ministry to grant two immigrant children access to schooling, they condemned the government's attempt to deny education over legal technicalities. The party stated that children should never be excluded from education due to bureaucratic obstacles and that the ministry should safeguard, not undermine, the inalienable rights of children.

ADPD thanked educators, officials, and workers in the education sector for their commitment to children and wished all students and teachers a productive scholastic year.