The recent aggression on the Head of School and Deputy Head of Kalkara Primary has sparked yet another debate about the security in schools. The MUT condemned the aggression, offered all the support to the affected school leaders and educators and communicated promptly with the Education Ministry for the necessary support.

The union explained that the incident was unrelated to the school and to the child's education. I shall refrain from writing about this specific case, which I believe, is subject to a police investigation.

Whilst all violence needs to be condemned and has no place in schools, it must be reaffirmed that educators cannot carry the weight of family quarrels, legal custody or other complicated relationships involving parents whose children attend school.  

The unstable social structure of some families has become complicated and is having adverse effects on the running of schools, the educational provision and most importantly the teaching and learning process of children. 

Despite the effects on the respective parents, children are the greatest losers through no fault of their own. Children are often at the centre of the disputes between parents and very often they are dragged in situations which are unsustainable for adults, let alone for children.

When it comes to schooling, there are often disputes about who has the right to be consulted by the school, who has the right to decide about schooling, who has the right to pick the student after school, who has the right to visit the school during parents' day and so forth.

The list is on the increase with the various permutations about the legal custody of children. Gone is the time when educators could recognise a parent and pass the student to them without verifications. Gone are the days when the school invites all parents for celebration days or parents' days.

Schools have to consult reports, decrees and other documentation to take even the simple decision about the involvement of parents. And I am not just speaking about the administrative task regarding documentation, keeping updated records and coordinating directions. 

I am speaking about a responsibility which is beyond teaching and learning and which is also beyond schooling as traditionally conceived. God forbid if a mistake is done at any stage and the 'wrong' parent is invited to school or takes the child from school instead, as it could mean that the school would be going against a court decree or other provision. We are not speaking about education but simply about school attendance and activities.

When it comes to education, the situation gets even more complicated. Educators have to choose and to weigh their words and actions all the time. Even if they write on a copybook that the student needs to improve the writing, the written statement may be used by one parent against another in court and request the educators to give testimony about the comment in the copybook.

Similarly, if an educator gives low marks to a student who was previously doing well, one parent may use the child's lower achievement to pick against another, with the educators being summoned to substantiate the mark for reasons beyond the education of the child.

When it comes to the wellbeing of the student, the position of the educator gets worse. Educators often refer to changes in the student's attitudes towards the school including their overall wellbeing. Yet a report about, say the lack of homework or lack of studying for a task is easily used by a parent outside the context of education in the same ways as described earlier. Undoubtedly, there are educators who are refraining from reporting such observations to avoid being dragged into issues concerning parents. They cannot be blamed.

Educating a child involves the whole community including both parents. The failure of the relationships between parents affects children but every effort must be made so that it does not also influence schooling. Schools are often the only safe space for some children. Parents must refrain from bringing family quarrels to schools and to educators whose only aims are to provide an education for the children.

Marco Bonnici is President of the Malta Union of Teachers