September 14, 2018 at 12:21 pm
UPDATED: MUT suspends directive on Photocopying – piloting to continue with requested amendments
UPDATED 17th September 9am: There seems to have been a misunderstanding regarding the text below as the text may not have been clear enough. The MUT suspended the directive to enable the two schools currently piloting the project to continue the pilot – the only two schools carrying out the pilot project are Zejtun Secondary and Marsaskala Primary. ALL OTHER SCHOOLS ARE UNAFFECTED by the new centralised system and can continue with their respective photocopying systems as per previous years. Also a meeting is being organised for members at Zejtun Secondary and Marsaskala Primary on Thursday 20th at 3pm at the MUT premises in Ħamrun.
As the Union stated in previous communications, the GPP printing system is doomed to fail but unfortunately, unless the Ministry experiences its failure, we will still have the Government claiming that the system was perfect and the Union stopped its piloting so that teachers may continue to abuse the system by collecting money and issue less papers than the money collected. Unfortunately this is a perception of some parents and is shared by the Government. They do not acknowledge the number of teachers who fork out money for photocopies to cover students who do not pay or to issue extra material beyond the sum collected.
14th September text:
Following a meeting held with MEDE officials regarding the long-standing photocopying issue in State Schools, MUT and MEDE reached the basis of an agreement to enable the piloting of the project to continue. MEDE shall continue to pilot the project in a number of schools subject to the following:
– School bulk printing material such as exam papers, diaries, school magazine etc shall be carried out by the Government Printing Press (GPP);
– Educators who have resource/notes packs for students shall use the GPP;
– The material shall not pass through the Head of School or SMT but shall be sent directly to GPP;
– Delivery times (not less than twice a week) shall be the ones established and communicated to the respective schools;
– Printed material which is required with urgency may either be printed using the school’s photocopying machines, if provided, or else at an external photocopying supplier/s which shall be identified. Educators would need to present the respective receipt for the applicable refund from the school.
MUT and MEDE agreed to meet in mid-November to discuss the way forward unless there is the need for earlier meetings. Members are encouraged to provide feedback to the Union accordingly.
