Not enough teachers to teach new applied subjects, MUT says

There are not enough teachers to teach traditional subjects, let alone to teach the additional 13 subjects that are being introduced next year, the Malta Union of Teachers warned in a statement on Thursday. 

“The MUT is highly concerned about the situation and is calling for the educational authorities to take the necessary measures before the system collapses due to lack of human resources,” a spokesperson for MUT said.

The union said that for months it has been calling for the government to establish a national strategy to attract youth to the education sector.

“The MUT notes that there are currently not enough teachers to teach traditional subjects, let alone to cater for an additional 13 applied subjects being introduced next year. Despite this, the Ministry is embarking on campaigns to attract students to these new subjects without stating who shall be teaching these students.”

It said that the investments carried out through workshops in applied subjects aimed to attract students is not balanced by investment in other subjects which have now become “second class” concerning resources.  

Replying to a series of parliamentary questions about the teaching profession on Monday, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that a total of 133 new secondary teachers had been employed on a full-time basis at the start of the present scholastic year, with 59 teachers having been employed at primary school level.

The minister was also asked for the number of students currently reading for a degree in education. The minister said there were 107 students enrolled in the university’s Bachelor of Education (Honours) programme, while 161 are currently in the process of obtaining their Masters degree in teaching and learning.

Finally, the minister was asked the number of resignations from the reaching profession, with Bartolo stating that so far in 2019, there have been 8 resignations, compared with 57 in 2018 and 47 in 2017.