Teachers’ union tells party leaders in open letter to ‘grow up’

The Malta Union of Teachers has published an open letter to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader, expressing concern over the state of Maltese politics and the effects of this antagonism on children and their education.

The MUT said that comment boards and the social media were a testament to the way voters communicated with each in expressions of hatred, disdain and contempt for opponents.

“It is important that we educate our children to use the internet sanely and efforts are being made by teachers,” MUT president Kevin Bonello said.

But it added that political tit-for-tats were undermining teachers’ efforts at educating children into adopting critical ways of thinking, and that pupils are viewing mudslinging and personal attacks as normal ways of behaving.

“One can only assume how this negativity will be reflected in their education, their intellectual development, and on their future workplace.”

The MUT said that while Maltese browbeating was nothing new in politics, it seemed that 10 years inside the European Union had not given way to a mature way of doing politics.

“We have ended up with a series of personal attacks, a bipolar nation… we are appealing that the two parties you lead make that quality leap forward to truly serve the country and work towards a united people that respects each other’s intelligence.

“We understand that the government and Opposition has different roles, but we are persuaded that the two parties understand that our future in a more competitive and globalised world depends on the future generations we are educating; so it important that we do all we can to have our students grow up in a mature environment that befits an EU member state.”