Coronavirus: Teachers will receive full pay while schools are closed

Educators at all grades will be receiving their full pay and allowances while schools are closed due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, the government and Malta Union of Teachers have agreed.

The MUT also reached an agreement with the government that the closure period will not be considered as holidays, so teachers will not need to be compensated in the future for the days educators will be away from school during this closure period, the union said in a statement on Thursday evening.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that schools would be closed for one week as from Friday. Next Thursday, the situation will be reviewed and it will be decided whether the closure period is to be extended.

MUT and government had agreed on the following:

• Educators, student services grades and technician grades shall not report to school during the government’s closure period. Education officers can make arrangements for telework
• Closure period will not be considered holidays, no compensation will be needed in the future
• All grades affected by the closure will get their full pay and allowances for the period schools are closed
• Fines and childcare penalties shall be suspended in relation to student/child absenteeism between 25 February and 12 March
• Deduction of stipends for absenteeism for post-secondary and tertiary institution students will be suspended between 25 February and 12 March
• All educators in state and Church schools shall be paid in full for their quarantine periods
• Taskforce to be set up tomorrow to discuss curricular implications of the closure
• MEDE will use quarantine period for sanitisation, urgent maintenance and cleaning of schools
• MUT expecting full payment of teachers in independent schools which enforced quarantine leave beyond the period specified by the government

The union is also recommending that people avoid congregating and meeting in order to make the school closure method more effective, and that educators stop all activity involving groups of people.

The MUT is moreover postponing all meetings with groups of members until further notice and will continue to inform members and answer general queries accordingly.