The Malta Union of Teachers has directed its members not to give their fingerprints to the police in ongoing investigations about a theft from Cospicua Middle School.

The union said that following communication with the Minister for Education it had directed its members at the school who may be contacted by the police or any other authority  to provide their basic personal details (name, ID number and grade) and not their fingerprints. Should anything different be requested, members were asked to contact the Union for assistance.

The union said that in its communication with the minister it explained the reasoning for its directivbe, including that the theft occurred during the carnival holidays when educators were not at the school.

Another reason was  that the police did not even bother to check the recordings on the school security system even though they were asked to do so by the Head of School.

The union said it had also noted that the police did not carry out a proper investigation so much so that they were unaware of who was on duty on the day of the theft, who had access to the staff-room when the school was closed for children, who was abroad during holidays and therefore could not have stolen the cash, and who was on sick leave.

Instead, all staff are being requested to give their fingerprints.

Furthermore, the MUT claimed that the inspector who addressed the staff had reportedly used a very arrogant tone, so much so that one teacher reported that when she asked what would happen if she had to refuse to give her fingerprints, she was told “Toħroġ tibki minn hawn!”. (You will emerge from here crying)

"The Union, while having no qualms with helping with the investigation and while encouraging its members to do so as well, has no other option but to issue this directive to stand up to this type of bullying on its members," it said.