Teachers claim ministry-run tourism school ‘going downhill’

Eleven months since the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) was placed under the control of the tourism ministry portfolio, what was once a "healthy and prosperous" educational institution is now going downhill, Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) President Kevin Bonello has told MaltaToday.

Bonello confirmed complaints from ITS staff that acting director James Perry was "rubber-stamping" decisions by the government-appointed non-executive chairman Ernest Azzopardi, to implement his own proposals for the Institute.

"Even though Ernest Azzopardi's non-executive role does not allow him to take any decisions on the day-to-day running of ITS, he is still implementing his ideas through [Acting Director] James Perry," the source said.

Kevin Bonello confirmed this complaint, saying the teachers' union had received several complaints of mismanagement and shortcomings inside ITS.

"Since [former-ITS executive director] Adrian Mamo left ITS, the decisions are now being taken by Ernest Azzopardi. The situation has gone downhill, I have received record reports complaining of the situation at ITS," Bonello said.

Bonello added that the ITS should no longer be under the portfolio of the tourism ministry "because it inept at running the ITS."

In April 2013, tourism minister Karmenu Vella announced that ITS will no longer be the responsibility of the education ministry but would instead be under the remit of the tourism ministry because of a "lack of synergy among tourism stakeholders".

Bonello however said Vella's budget speech on ITS later on in the year had been "shocking".

"He forgets that it is an educational institution. The administration is running the school like an industry," Bonello said. "The school should no longer be under the tourism ministry's portfolio."

Bonello also said that academic staff were once again being assigned lessons outside their competence, with their teaching contracts being amended, and that attempts to rectify this situation had fallen on deaf ears. "Only last week, after finally agreeing to hold a meeting with the permanent secretary, this was abruptly cancelled at the eleventh hour," Bonello said.

ITS acting director James Perry has rejected these claims, saying teachers were only being allocated subjects which "they are not used to", insisting that there has only been one report of a teacher being allocated a wrong subject.

Perry, appointed in January 2014 after his predecessor's contract was terminated, denied that his decisions were influenced by the government chairman. "Decisions pertaining to the day-to-day running of the institute and those relating to changes in timetables and academic staff are up to me," Perry said, while explaining that certain decisions required wider consultancy, including that of Ernest Azzopardi.

"ITS is more decentralised than ever. Prior to implementing any changes within the institute, academic staff is now consulted. The situation at ITS is much better than it has ever been and students are now receiving better education and training," Perry said.

On his part, Bonello thinks that ITS's "decentralisation" is hindering operations and increasing bureaucracy.

Drawing comparisons with the "larger and more efficient" Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) Bonello said ITS's 45-member staff could no longer talk to the management directly, instead having to report to area coordinators.

On his part, ITS chairman Ernest Azzopardi rebutted claims that he as using James Perry to rubber-stamp his decisions. "In my capacity as non-executive chairman, I am only consulted on extraordinary decisions, with decisions pertaining to changes in staff, contracts and the allocation of subjects being the sole prerogative of James Perry."

Azzopardi, appointed in April 2013, a month after Labour won the general elections, said he was not involved in the day-to-day running of the ITS, especially because he "did not set foot in the institute during this past week".