A substantial number of schools are still facing a shortage of assistant heads as State schools open next week, the Nationalist Party said Saturday.

This is not a secondary issue or a mere administrative detail. These are key positions that are fundamental to the proper operation of a school and to its effective management, the PN added.

The start of the school year is not something that happens without warning. It is an annual event that requires proper planning, preparation and adequate resources well in advance.

When there is a lack of proper management, the burden falls on the rest of the school leadership teams, educators and other school staff. These shortages negatively affect the normal day-to-day running of schools.

Nor is this the only shortage schools are facing. There are also shortages of LSEs, guidance teachers, psychologists, social workers and skilled workers, the PN said.

A serious government plans ahead and manages effectively. A serious government ensures that schools have the resources they need in place beforehand, so that they can operate as smoothly as possible.

These are basic requirements. We should not be reaching the week before schools reopen only to discover that serious shortages remain in such important roles.

Education deserves preparation, organisation and effective leadership - not last-minute fixes and makeshift solutions, the N said.

The statement was signed by Jerome Caruana Cilia, Shadow Minister for Education and Citizenship.