Teachers' union insists tablets are for training purposes only until December

The use of tablets by teachers and LSAs in schools is currently limited to training and familiarisation only, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) said this afternoon.

The MUT said in a statement that this situation had to remain so until a memorandum of understanding could be signed with the ministry of education and employment.

"It is important that all colleges are aware of this to avoid any issues that could affect discussions on the memorandum of understanding," the union said.

The MUT reiterated that the tablets are not to be used in class, and that school children will not have access to them for some months.

"No one can expect tablets to be used in classrooms until a memorandum of understanding is in place. News statements and reports that tablets will be in all Year 4 classes from Monday are highly misleading. Tablets, in fact, will start being distributed to children from December 2016 and an incremental use can only be expected from January 2017 subject to an agreed memorandum of understanding," the union insisted.