Teachers union UPE confers symbolic ‘pudding’ to scandal-hit minister

Members of the UĦM teachers’ union UPE have conferred upon the embattled education minister Justyne Caruana a symbolic ‘pudding’ over the Bogdanovic imbroglio.

Caruana is under pressure to resign as minister after a Standards Commissioner investigation found she had breached ethics by giving her partner Daniel Bogdanovic a €15,000 direct order.

Union of Professional Educators executive head Graham Sansone said this week Caruana had earned the unions ‘pudina’ for “a blunder that has irritated so many hard-working educators”.

Sansone said that the Hyzler report had clearly revealed numerous wrongdoings that were “unjustifiable and illogical in today’s world”, including the approval of the Bogdanovic contract by permanent secretary Frank Fabri.

“After some deliberation it was decided that a pudding that serves four was the best option... that should suffice for Minister Justyne Caruana, Permanent Secretary Dr Frank Fabri and Consultant to the Minister Dr Paul DeBattista at the Ministry,” Sansone said.

He added that Caruana could also share a portion of the pudina with “special friend” Bogdanovic. “Christmastime is a time for sharing. Sharing is giving.”

UPE sarcastically called the year a “memorable one”, listing COVID variants, court cases, “injunctions, sagas, fantasies, skulduggery and arrogance” as some of the infamous issues that dominated the union’s year in its skirmishes with the education ministry.