MCAST students working at Skola Sajf paid €5.66 an hour

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo has tabled in parliament a copy of the different contract of services awarded to workers employed at Skola Sajf and Klabb 3-16 centres.

All contracts are on a part-time basis.

Centre coordinators receive €8.35 per hour together with any bonuses and any other benefits which they are entitled to; Child support workers are paid €6.88 per hour together with any bonuses and any other benefits which they are entitled to; Playworkers are paid €5.75 per hour together with any bonuses and any other benefits which they are entitled to.

All workers are expected to work up to a maximum of 30 hours per week. Opening hours of the service are between 7am and 5.30pm.

In the case of MCAST students – where at least 560 students were engaged – they receive an hourly rate of €5.66 together with any bonuses and any other benefits which they are entitled to.

The students must work the same hours as the other workers.

None of those employed to work within the Skola Sajf and Klabb 3-16 initiatives were registering for work with the Employment and Training Corporation.

The ratio of adults to children is 1:15 for children aged between 3 and 5 and 1:20 for children aged 6 and over.

Children with disability or those who require support will be assisted by a Child Supporter Worker.

Based on budgetary estimates, €380,000 were allocated for the administration of Skola Sajf and €130,000 for Klabb 3-16.

During his intervention in parliament, Bartolo made it clear he was still irked by the way the opening of the centres was handled.

“The preparations were extremely weak ... I prefer working with people who inform me of problems instead of insisting everything was fine,” Bartolo said, in clear reference to the Foundation for Educational Services (FES).

The Education Minister added that the centres have now entered into their third day “and the majority of the problems have been addressed”.