After teacher’s online rant, Higher Secondary students ‘embrace diversity’

Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School students have come together to show that they stand united against intolerance and prejudice.

A ‘this school embraces diversity’ banner was put up at the school, in reaction to transphobic comments made by right-wing lecturer Stephen Florian - who would later also turn his sights onto a Muslim law student.

Florian, who is also a teacher at the Higher Secondary, has since resigned from lecturing duties at the University of Malta and made a public apology.

“Students today wanted to convey a clear message on diversity being religious or of gender,” a higher secondary school teacher told MaltaToday.

“A good number of our Maltese students are Muslims and our students wanted to show that diversity in all its forms must be respected.”

Florian is a Malta Union of Teachers delegate at the higher secondary. Whilst the MUT has disassociated itself from the comments he made, the union left it up to its members to decide whether to keep him on as a delegate or not.

“Many members of the staff expect the union itself to take action itself,” teachers have told MaltaToday, commenting that Florian was appointed representative after none of the teachers showed interest in the post.

Informed sources insist that the union, by virtue of clause 9 of its statute,

“could simply remove him from a member having breached its Code of Honour”,  ending his role as delegate and representative of the MUT at the Higher Secondary.