Parents currently homeschooling their children should not be expected to return to work before the start of SkolaSajf, the Maltese Association of Parents of State School Students (MAPSSS) said.

It was referring to the Prime Minister’s call on Monday that all workers were expected to return to work on Friday.

The association said that in view of the fact that schools will remain closed until the end of the scholastic year, something it agreed with, the association called on the government to ensure that parents who were currently home-schooling their children, and had teleworking arrangements with their employers, continued to have the option to telework.

On the other hand, parents who could not telework, and who had to assist in the virtual learning of their children, should not be expected to return to work before the start of SkolaSajf on July 1.

MAPSSS is concerned that unless the necessary guidelines are provided, parents risked losing their jobs, considering also that employers were expecting them to return to work within two days. 

Furthermore, parents had not yet been provided any details regarding the health and safety protocols that were to be put in place at SkolaSajf, Child Care Centres, Klabb 3-16 or any other summer school. Such information was vital for parents to make an informed decision, it said.

MAPSSS believed that in view of the circumstances, parents’ primary responsibility was to take care of their children and they should be supported in doing so.