Higher secondary student council defends school after MaltaToday drug report

The student council of the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School in Naxxar has stepped in to defend their school’s name after MaltaToday published a story referring to one of their students as a drug dealer.

In an interview with MaltaToday, the parents of a 16-year-old student at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary in Naxxar expressed their despair and frustration at how the school authorities failed to even notify them that their teenage son had practically missed all lessons since having started attending the school.

It was only when the couple attended Parents’ Day that they were informed for the first time that their son rarely attended lessons and he risked being expelled for failing to meet the 73% attendance rate.

The parents soon learnt that the reason behind their son’s truancy was that he was dealing marijuana. 

“It is our understanding that people who attend Higher Secondary aren’t treated like numbers,” the student council said in a statement. “We feel as though the recording of attendance is kept up properly throughout the year. Moreover, regular attendance reports are sent to parents and a number of students had already been warned about their poor attendance, with some of them getting expelled because of this.

“Therefore, the reference that drug abuse by one individual in our school has anything to do with the school’s attendance system has hurt our hearts. As members of the council that represents all the students in this school, we will not tolerate our school, its students or its staff to be stamped this way because of the actions of one individual that weren’t in the school’s name.”  

They also pointed out that “all students are welcomed at Higher Secondary” and that the school is the only sixth form on the island that “offers second chances to students and [A-level] courses to students who want to further their studies abroad”

Contacted by MaltaToday, head of school Gaetano Calleja said he did not receive any reports of misconduct by a guidance teacher nor did he receive a letter from the parents as advised by the guidance teacher.

“Whenever I receive a report [on drugs] I always inform the police and take all the necessary steps in order to tackle the issue in the most urgent manner. The school takes these matters seriously and even if the abuse happens outside school premises and not during school hours, we always inform the police and as a school we offer all our assistance,” Calleja said.

He said that attendance was taken and recorded during every lesson and students were monitored by “sending for the students themselves and their parents whenever there is the need”.

The school usually issues warning letters, on both attendance and their record of work, which are handed personally to the parents. The system is however still “work in progress”.

“The system is still work in progress and we are working with the school information system to be able to send the attendance report. I hope that by mid-February we will be in a position to send the report,” Calleja said.