UPDATE: Tal-Handaq Girls School biology teacher Vince Taliana

Published: March 28, 2014 at 4:18pm
Vince Taliana

Vince Taliana

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My previous post on Vince Taliana, a biology teacher at St Ignatius College, the state secondary school for girls at Tal-Handaq, refers.

Taliana’s was summarily dismissed from St Aloysius College in November 1997. These scans show him listed in the St Aloysius College annual for October 1996-June 1997. He was summoned by the school principal and asked to leave with immediate effect.

Sources have told me that Taliana, to exact vengeance on one of his pupils, had included in the biology examination paper a question in which there was an obvious and humiliating reference to the boy himself.

The St Aloysius College administration viewed this act not only in isolation (though in and of itself it was sufficient to ensure serious disciplinary action for gross misbehaviour) but as an indication of questionable personality traits which put pupils at risk. Taliana was asked to leave.

A separate source has informed me that it later emerged Taliana, who is married with two children but estranged from his wife, had had “an inappropriate relationship” with the boy.

At some later stage, he found employment at St Martin’s College – an independent secondary school – but was fired for “fraud related issues”.

I think I should reproduce in full one of the messages I received, below.

Vince Taliana was forever organising live-ins and residential events, and some of the pupils were on first name terms with him. Everyone, and I mean everyone in my class adored him in a cult-like way, a bit like that Erin Tanti.

Except (of course) for me and a couple of other pupils. Naturally, he despised us. When we learned he was fired, we actually drank a toast to our prescience. We had left school by then.

After he left St Aloysius’ College, he partnered with Ivan Gaffiero of Gaffiero Productions, organising all manner of Miss Malta/Miss Bikini/Miss Big and Beautiful/Mrs Malta/Miss Maltese Islands/Mr Man/Mr Malta contests. You know the kind.

A few years after he was fired from the school, he was caught in flagrante delicto by his wife, having sex with her dental assistant (a man).

Say what you will about the Jesuits who ran the school, but they were one shrewd bunch.

Now he turns up again in connection with the pasta photos and more, teaching at a state secondary for girls. You couldn’t script a more perfect movie.

I also received this message:

I was at St Aloysius College when Vince Taliana was fired. During a biology test, he began daring boys to show who is “bil-bajd” and who is not.

He was fired instantly.




29 Comments Comment

  1. Ex-SAC student says:

    Hi – you totally diluted the content and seriousness of what he wrote in the exam paper. Can you give me your email address so I send you a photo of that paper to publish it on this post and let people judge for themselves?
    Thanks.

    [Daphne – Without having seen the actual question, I had to err on the side of caution. If you have the actual question, yes, please do send it to me at [email protected] so that I may upload it and keep readers and parents of girls at that school informed of what is going on.]

    • H.P. Baxxter says:

      I am in awe of this blog. The entire exercise of press freedom, the whole edifice of press scrutiny and journalism, and of rational thought on this benighted country of ours rests on the shoulders of one woman. We trust Daphne more than the papers, the police, the law courts, the politicians or the government itself. Respect.

  2. Anthony Grima says:

    I couldn’t help but notice the first comment that was posted on his Facebook by Marita Pace Dimech – “arahhhh is-Sirrr :))) hawnx ghalik” with a smiley face! Is she one of his pupils? If yes, her profile picture is very worrying indeed.

    Since I don’t have Facebook, I did a quick Google Search and it seems like there is only one Marita Pace Dimech – a Legal Assistant at the Office of the Prime Minister (according to LinkedIn)!!! If she’s the one, the profile picture is still worrying for a Legal Assistant at the OPM.

    • Jozef says:

      Ok, this is getting out of hand. All roads lead to Jo.

    • La Redoute says:

      Marita Pace Dimech lists herself as a law student at the University of Malta.

    • Snoopy says:

      She has changed her profile picture as well as removed her linkedIn profile.

      These people are as brave and courageous as mice.

      • Ex-student says:

        Ara vera ma kulhadd trid tigranfa din il-bniedma!

        Vince Taliana was an exceptional teacher. I was in his biology class in St. Martin’s and he always delivered his lessons in a professional manner. He made no attempts whatsoever to act inappropriately around his students.

        Daphne, you really have no shame – going around damaging people’s reputations with your false accusations and nonsense. And obviously a bunch of your dimwhit “fans” swallow everything you throw out at them….whoa talk about cult-like behaviour.

  3. Mosely says:

    Keep up the good work, Daphne.

    We need these type of people locked up.

  4. Anthony says:

    Any information about his biology practicals at St Ignatius College would be very relevant indeed.

  5. La Redoute says:

    This puts Evarist Bartolo’s rant about warrants into perspective. Taliana had a teaching degree and held a warrant, but still messed around.

    Shouldn’t illicit relationships with pupils result in a ban from teaching? Or is he considered to be less of a risk to girls because they’re, well, not boys?

  6. Jozef says:

    There you go, another artist/creative.

    I was about to say the deep web’s Maltese, but no, who needs that when they got Facebook.

  7. ciccio says:

    These must be Vince Taliana’s practical biology classes.

  8. Joe Fenech says:

    “cult-like way”

    Spot on! Currently in the UK many child abuse cases are emerging in the music and the music education world. The notion of the ‘guru figure’ , which creates the ‘cult culture’ mentioned in your article, comes up very often.

    http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6333285

    ” It can lead to the cultivation of entourages of adoring young students to be moulded into quasi-clones of the great guru, as extensions of his or her ego. ”

    http://www.channel4.com/news/sex-abuse-scandals-britains-elite-music-education-in-crisi

    “Some of those within the classical music world told Channel 4 News there was still a perception that exceptional musical achievements have led to “gurus” being considered beyond reproach – similarly the celebrity status of Jimmy Savile, and Stuart Hall, saw inappropriate behaviour seemingly unreported for some time.”

  9. Abigail says:

    Qabel ma tparla u tigudika lil haddiehor hares fil mera daphne int Andek ibex timla blog shih mhux artiklu u il comment itfaw mhux li jaqbilek int titfa

    • Nokkla says:

      Ma jidhirlix li l-artiklu kien fuq kemm jidher ikrah jew banali s-sur Taliana (ghalkemm ma tistax ma tinnutax dawn il-karatteristici ma l-ewwel daqqa t’ghajn lejn ir-ritratti tieghu), imma fuq l-agir mhux approprjat tieghu ma’ tfal taht l-eta.

      Allura ma nistax nifhem x’konnessjoni hemm ma’ li thares fil-mera.

  10. il-Ginger says:

    Malta is such a safe place to bring up a kid. Especially if you want your kid abused by teachers, priests or others.

    I had the misfortune of being assaulted and battered by a school councillor on a school outing over a false accusation some idiot made.

    If I ever have kids I’d emigrate, just not sure where. In Malta it seems like the logical progression from social acceptance of gay men is social acceptance of pedophiles and pederasts, even though the two are not connected, and that it is way too much for me to handle.

  11. Lisa says:

    Hi, I just want to tell you that our teacher did nothing wrong in our school so shut up please… cause he is one of the best teachers .. He teaches me Biology and he is very good at teaching.. he did nothing wrong to us and IF he did something wrong everyone has the second chance to be change

    • Dicky Cliffs says:

      Wrong: when professional people breach the basic laws of their own profession, they have to be accountable.

    • H.P. Baxxter says:

      And the cult followers rush in to defend their guru. Can’t this Taliana write in himself? If you don’t realise how this comes across, then there really is no hope for you.

      I suggest he chooses the jungles of Guyana for his next field trip. That would be a good start.

    • Nokkla says:

      Just because he “did nothing wrong ” at your school….yet…(or nothing wrong that you know of) doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be accountable for things that he did wrong or is doing wrong elsewhere….as for the “second chance to be change”…experience taught me that: min jitwieled tond ma jmutx kwadru u li “il lupo perde il pelo non il vizio” …(unfortunately)….

  12. Aaliyah says:

    Yes, I agree with Lisa. He teaches me Biology as well and he did nothing wrong in our school… so why are you ruining people’s life? Let them live in peace.. Why are you posting this now? He’s one of the best teachers we have in our school.
    Thank you

  13. sandy says:

    You are sick Daphne and think that every one has a sick mind like your. This men is a great men who adores his family and is there to support everyone . He is a great father and a great teacher. Thanks to him many student have passed their o level.who are you or anyone to judge him. Let him live his life.

  14. Canada says:

    OMG this woman is the one who is bloody living in the past! She really needs to get a life and wake up I DO NOT think that the photos were provocative in anyway……………Has she ever seen REAL provcative modelling pics she should then judge! Just read both her articles on Mr. Taliana I do not know him personally but have seen him and how he work with his MODELS and yes MODELS, as my sis in law was one of his best models and represented Malta in fact so that is saying something about how he works and tries to perhaps give these men and women a chance for a modelling career! Daphne I think you should find a job as a journalist for criminals/murderes at least you would have a reason to be so vile and disgusting with your words!

  15. Macduff says:

    Do these schools check on the people they’re going to employ? Do they ask for references, ask why they left their old job, ring the school principal to check?

    The same thing had happened with that Mark Vella Gera. He was fired from a church school for abusive behaviour, only to be employed by an independent school and have the same thing happen again.

  16. La Redoute says:

    Vince Taliana used to teach at San Gog Preca school for boys in Hamrun. He may have left voluntarily.

    http://www.yatedo.com/p/Vince+Taliana/normal/d05cd317c76f50fc0f18f46b69de366b

  17. Sephora says:

    You’re going to hear me ROAR daphne… Qabel ma tparla ahajr tara xqed taghmel int ta ! Jghallimni l Biology u hu teacher vera tajjeb ahjar taghlaq halqek u ma titkellem xejn! Ara vera mghandekx xtaghmel int! -_-… kwazi kulhadd ma jahmlekx lilek ghax twegga n nies qeghda !

  18. Sephora,Deandra,Lisa,Aaliyah says:

    U nispera li qed tara dan il kummenti li qed niktbulek mhux imbilli taqbad u tifta’ l artikli fuq il blog tieghek biex jarahom kulhadd u ma taghtix kas! Il biology hu suggett li jhobb u jghallmu vera tajjeb! Tfottix hajjet hadd iehor beix minghalik tkun qed taghmel il gid ghall ohrajn imma fil verita tkun qed tkisser lil ohrajn! L istudenti li kien jghallem hu kwazi kollha ghaddew mill O-level, xi wiehed jew tnejn m ghaddewx biex tara kemm hu sir tajjeb!
    Thank you

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