“We will make it possible for women with children to go to work”
The way women are pushed around in this country is just beyond belief. I say ‘women’ and not ‘parents’ because I’ll be willing to bet my keyboard that for the whole of this week, it’s the fathers who’ll go to work as normal while the mothers take a week of holiday leave or struggle to make arrangements with their own mothers.
Skolasajf, the government’s ‘summer school’ service for children of working parents, was due to begin tomorrow. But guess what? Today – a hot Sunday when everybody’s at the beach and not bothering with news updates – the government issues a press release saying that it’s going to start next week instead.
Yes, at the 11th hour. The parents – sorry, mothers – who actually got to read the information will have spent the final hours of today in a mega panic, trying to make alternative arrangements.
And those who are unable to make alternative arrangements will be in an even bigger panic because they can’t let their employers know in advance that they won’t be turning up for work. Offices were closed today – it’s Sunday.
Now think of all the parents who haven’t heard the bad news. They’ll all be rolling up to the school gates early tomorrow morning, in a mad rush to get to the office through the traffic, only to find the school gates closed and probably no printed explanation pinned to them.
25 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
This government is so incompetent it can’t even organise a summer school.
After it flooded the market with cheap supply, it ‘postpones’ ( I wonder whether it will pull out) at the last minute to leave us mothers with no option.
Maybe we should take long sick-leave to be with our children instead of sending them to Klabb 3-16.
The government let us down, in turn we can do the same by staying home with the children, considering that most mothers work within the public service or public sector.
Brava! First of all two wrongs never make one right. Secondly you are exhibiting the typical Maltese civil servant mentality of thinking that your job is a god-given right and that you think nothing of abusing the system to satisfy your needs.
By not going to work you are not paying back government but cheating us tax payers. You need to start asking yourself: what would I do if I worked with the private sector (of course there is a good chance you have no clue).
One more thing Daphne, from my experience there are many many fathers who are equally involved in their children’s education and care. I’m sure many are not and I’m sure some mothers have to do it all alone, but at least in our circles it’s become very balanced.
Skola Sajf was – is – chroncially understaffed for reasons that are not entirely clear. The fundamental problem is that the staff to pupil ratio is meant to be 1:15 but the number of trained staff falls far short of that number and the ministry has ignored the MUT’s attempts to sort out the situation.
The problem erupted after schools closed just a week ago when Skola Sajf staff and paents noticed the extent of the problem and reported it to the MUT.
This was circulated last Saturday:
The MUT is being informed by various members about the disastrous situation facing the start of Skola Sajf next Monday. The Union has been informed that:
a) the centres for Skola Sajf are almost entirely understaffed;
b) provisions have not even been made to replace teachers who will be on inservice courses;
c) Gozitan university students have been asked to work in Malta when in Gozo they are sorely needed;
d) requests for more staffing by coordinators have been met with arrogant refusals by FES management;
e) FES is still accepting registrations even though it is fully aware of the major understaffing in all centres;
f) one particular centre in Malta will start on Monday with one “play worker” taking care of up to 300 children, while one centre in Gozo will have 60 children with just one person in charge;
g) various Centres are staffed with persons not trained or licensed to teach;
h) coordinators have been given charge of various centres, rather than one as usual.
To sum up, the Union regretfully notes that its communications with the Ministry about the fiasco going on in Skola Sajf and Klabb 3-16, which fiasco is orchestrated by FES, have gone unheeded.
Therefore the MUT is advising its members (taking part in Skola Sajf) to refrain from opening/attending Skola Sajf centres if the established ratio of 1:15 is not respected. The Union believes that the risks to which FES is exposing its members exceeds by far any pittance remuneration the same FES can offer.
Members are also advised to update the Union via email on the situation at their respective centre/s. Heads of Schools are also advised to steer clear from this chaos, and guide their SMT members accordingly.
Sitwazzjonijiet diffiċli bħal dawn, speċjalment fl-Edukazzjoni, tal-Lejber għandhom ħabta kif isolvuhom!
Per eżempju jista’ jdaħħal il-ġenituri stess flok l-għalliema biex ‘jieħdu ħsieb’ it-tfal.
Hekk għamel fl-1984 waqt l-istrajk tal-għalliema.
Gvern tal-frejjeg.
Ezatt izzomhom il-weghdi tieghu dan ir-regim tal-PL. Din sieheb li hareg jghid li ser jghati ic-cans lill-genituri li jekk ikollhom it-tfal ma jifilhux dawn jisghtu jiehdu is-sick leave sabiex joqghodu maghhom id-dar. Imma ghax qabzu fuqu tal-industrija din il-proposta spiccat indifnet.
Fuq din gejna infurmati b’SMS tard filghaxija, ahna konna gbidna l-attenzjoni tal-awtoritajiet xi jiem ilu fuq din il-problema u dawn qalluna li l-problema kienet li giet imposta minn fuq sabiex jaccetaw lil kulhadd bla limitu u huma ma kellhomx nies bizejjed.
Basta giet Evita Michelle Muscat tghid li post in-nisa ghax-xoghol.
Vera hafna mil-problema hi fuq in-nisa. Meta jien ippruvajt niehu teleworking ta’ HR qalli li dawn affarijiet tan-nisa u jekk trid tmur il-mara tieghi tapplika.
The Skolasalf and Klabb 3-16 programmes are failing to start today but not due to strike action.
The problem is that many schools were going to be severely understaffed putting up the ratio to more than the established ratio of 1:15.
The worst example is 1:300 in Malta and 1:60 in Gozo.
I am sure no parent would want this situation for his child. Because of these shortfalls the Malta Union of Teachers had to initiate industrial action as the FES failed to resolve the situation before the start of the summer school.
It’s probably actually worse than that. See this, taken from Facebook just now:
“Skola Sajf/Klabb 3-16: last week I was out with the kids and there was a group of mothers with their kids, the type that say a swear word every 5 words or so … at one point one of the mothers receives a message, saying ‘il-xxxx, baghtuli biex nibda play worker nhar it-Tnejn, lanqas interview m’ghamluli’ … how can I have peace of mind that even if it’s postponed by a week, the children will have capable people taking care of them!!”
One things to keep in mind; nobody messes with our children, our families and our jobs.
And, with this http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140707/local/dalli-vs-barroso-in-court-today-follow-live-blog-on-timesofmaltacom.526662 going on, Gayle Kimberly was yesterday on some Facebook chat-room asking for somebody to install “child safety bars” on (her) windows. Ah well, as long as all is well in Lala Land …
An administrative cockup’s to blame, but the Ministry’ blaming the administrators, rather than taking responsibility for the foreseeable and inevitable mess.
Skolasajf depends on teachers but most teachers are on inservice training this week.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140707/local/minister-apologises-blames-administrative-shortcomings-as-skola-sajf-klabb-3-16-stay-closed.526625
Dear Daphne
Many teachers with experience and a permanent warrant, who have taken other courses related to education, were left out of SkolaSajf.
Presumably, only the F.E.S organisers are capable of teaching children during the summer.
Please note that the press release mentioned in the article was not issued by the Malta Union of Teachers but by the Government (only the Government can postpone since it is the organiser of the said initiative). The MUT’s statement was issued on Saturday noting the chaos in which Skola Sajf is going to open, hence prompting the media about the disastrous situation.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-07-07/news/ngo-accepts-mepas-conclusion-of-no-conflict-of-interest-by-ceo-5747638272/
This is a story that merits attention. It shows the bullying tactics which MEPA is willing to adopt. PL government is over-eager to bully its critics into silence.
MEPA’s CEO claims that, at the moment, he has no conflict of interest. By his own admission, however, he had a conflict of interest in the past because of his (or his wife’s) shareholding in property development companies. His willingness to bend the rules in the past should have disqualified him from being appointed CEO.
But then again, I am being naïve. The PL government REWARDS people for conflict of interest, bending the rules, criminal convictions, betraying employers by acting as moles etc. etc. etc.
Summer schools have always been well organized and a hit with parents and children.I bet this year the teachers are going to be just baby sitters and activities reduced to a minimum to keep down costs. Shame on Evarist Bartolo.
Naraw f’min ser jwahhal Evarist Bartolo din darba fuq il-bicca ta’ l-Iskolasajf.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-07-07/news/mut-never-ordered-industrial-actions-at-skola-sajf-5747638273/
Blame the MUT says Evarist.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-07-07/news/marlene-farrugia-questions-agreement-with-china-says-gwu-has-lost-voice-5745770496/
Perhaps Muscat could consider co-opting Castaldi Paris to parliament, seeing how ‘his’ party doesn’t respect him.
Honestly, how these hangers on expect to achieve anything with the party on its knees is beyond me. Or maybe it’s the perfect excuse to abandon a PN in dire need of individuals capable of resolve.
To all those switchers and “lets give them a chance” voters who thought it wise to oust the team that worked so well in most aspects of our lives, for a new team whose credentials said little or close to nothing of their competence to run our country – you believed all Jo-Jo’s marketing spiel hook line and sinker. Perhaps we should remind you to wake up and smell the new coffee. It’s brewed, gone cold and tastes rancid, and you have only yourselves to blame.
And they’re reply will inevitably be something on the lines of: “mhux ahjar tara x’ghamiltu ntom: 500 Euro fil gimgha zieda, Enemalta falliment, jinbieghu l-Airmalta, MidMed, l-ajruport ecc.”
Almost 700 years ago the Bethlem Royal Hospital was set up in London. It was the first institution in Europe to deal exclusively with mental illness. It was popularly referred to as Bedlam the word which describes so colourfully our present government.
No summer school, no summer bus schedule, police chief ditched after fifteen months, same with head of nursing at Mater Dei Hospital.
No trace of hydrocarbons found when at least one cabinet minister knows exactly where our vast oil deposits lie.
New power station manana. Almost each and every member of cabinet putting his foot in it on a regular basis. The health commissioner disappears with his law counterpart practically following suit.
The Ombudsman is at his wits’ end. Faux pas galore. Gaffes every hour.
The word is bedlam. How apt.
Pechlorate in our food, courtesy of the industry that keeps Muscat rolling it in OUTSIDE his official role.
Great so he promises free child care but cannot offer a proper summer school service….and were the tablets delivered?
When Lawrence Gonzi said Labour won’t work, this is what he meant.
And how right he was
Actually MUT had alerted the Minister about this problem on the 20th June.
http://www.mut.org.mt/newspages/newsitem%202014%2006%2020.htm