The Union of Professional Educators (UPE) will unveil very worrying information from St. Theresa’s College. Last week, the Union exposed a series of workplace bullying scandals that have escalated to the point where the head of school at St. Theresa’s College has reportedly not assigned a class to a specific primary teacher due to an alleged grudge.

This incident is just one piece of a larger puzzle. The Union has received numerous claims supported by concrete evidence, indicating that this particular school within the College of St. Theresa has been disregarding the policies set forth by the Department of Educational Services (DES). The DES is presently under the leadership of Mr. Emile Vassallo, who has allowed this situation to deteriorate to an irreversible state. The Union once again questions why his inaction has persisted for so long.

At some point, Mr. Vassallo will have to address these uncomfortable questions. In the meantime, it appears that there may be incompetence within the DES structure, its leadership, or perhaps both.

This is because the head of the school in question, affiliated with St. Theresa’s College, has allegedly been segregating children based on their abilities, a policy that expired long ago. Malta’s educational system had incorporated streaming from Year 4 of primary school onward until 2010 when the previous administration favored a mixed-ability approach in sector reform. It seems that this 13-year-old reform has not been implemented in this particular school. The DES, which has been aware of this allegation for several months, has not taken action, even though an assessment of class lists would provide a clear understanding of the situation.

The Union also questions why the Head of School has reportedly postponed school audits multiple times, while other schools undergo regular scrutiny.

Who is the DES trying to shield?