[Daphne – I don’t have to. Most of the people writing here are not similarly challenged, even though they might not be teachers.]

Well there is nothing against the law in those photos or what these teachers did! So that is your opinion and this is mine!:)

I can tell you haven’t seen the world beyond the narrow confines of this speck of rock we call Malta, V.A..

No, not everyone has work parties in the civilised world. And out of those companies or institutions that do, there are none that organise open bars. Not in the way you mean it.

There might be wine and maybe, just maybe, gin and whisky at the office Christmas reception, but that will be it. To be drunk the way it’s meant to be. i.e. not in the form of a godawful Gekkowk or Votkaretbull by pimply-faced street Arabs with spiked hair.

It’s the fraction of children out of the total population that’s diminishing, Paul Abela, not the number of children or the population. That’s another half-truth from the PN years. Where any discussion about the population explosion and overpopulation was taboo, by the way.

[Daphne – Plain long English? Every educated person writes proper English in punctuated sentences without teenage abbreviations, VA. If you’re educated, it comes naturally, and writing the way you do is actually more stressful because you have to think about it. Anybody who writes as you do reveals himself (or herself) to be uneducated, university degrees notwithstanding. That manner of communicating is the hallmark of ignorance.]

[Daphne – I really hope you’re not a teacher, not because of your attitude, but because of your grammar.]

[Daphne – There was massive population growth before that happened, Paul. When I was at school 30 years or so ago, we learned the population of Malta by rote as 350,000. It’s now around 100,000 more than that. It’s the birth rate that’s diminishing, not the actual hard number of children. There are definitely more children now in real rather than relative terms than there were three decades ago.]

In itself the party is fun, but it is irresponsible to invite the fifth formers.

At least most teachers deliver lessons, offer support and do their own preparation, but unfortunately this is not the reality at home.

Nowadays teenagers end up going home and their parents are not there. And I am not referring to working hours, but during weekends, when the parents feel the need to go out partying.

Due to this most teenagers feel that since their parents are not home they can do whatever they like, like going out again, meeting older groups of friends, watching pornographic material on the internet, binge drinking etc…

Adding on to this, some parents think that by buying iPads, mobiles etc for their children, they will be fulfilling their needs, but unfortunately they are not giving them the basic needs of love and support.

I agree with you that no one’s life should be flaunted publicly on FB especially with certain professions – dignity has been put aside.

Daphne, I think that some of these students’ problems is not because their teacher are out partying and want to imitate them but then again, let’s agree to disagree.

These school kids have far more worrying problems than wanting to act cool because is-Sir or il-Miss are out drinking. Unfortunately, the teachers who mind their own business are put in the same basket as those who, let’s put it, air their laundry in public.

It is indeed unfortunate for the profession. Actually, Daphne, for any profession. But again, am no journalist.