The couple who pulled their children out of a government primary school after learning their teacher was gay have reversed their decision after discussions with the school.

Education Minister Clifton Grima confirmed that the parents changed their mind and will keep their children at San Ġwann’s St Clare College Primary School after “a long and cordial” meeting with the school’s administration and the teacher, Stefan Vassallo.

“The school is equipped to provide the best education to all the children of San Ġwann, which means these children, too, can and should stay in that school,” Grima told Times of Malta after the meeting yesterday.

“It looks like this unpleasant incident will create a stronger community after all and will assure all children get the best education they deserve.”

Times of Malta revealed the story on Wednesday, explaining how the couple decided to transfer their children to another school after learning that one of them might end up in the Year 3 class which is taught by Stefan Vassallo, who is openly gay.

The couple told the school the teacher was a man who carried a bag with a rainbow flag on it and that while they respect everyone, they are a “conservative family” and did not like the idea of children mixing with people “who are not straight”.

The story triggered a nationwide uproar, with politicians, academics, activists, and NGOs condemning the decision, which led to a meeting scheduled between the school and the parents yesterday.

Education sources said that during the meeting it transpired that the parents’ initial decision to pull their children out of the school did not stem from hatred towards gay people.

Rather, it was the result of different cultural influences. They were born and raised in a different culture in another country and had many misconceptions about homosexuality and how it is perceived in Malta.

The couple emigrated to Malta with their children a few years back and in their eyes, it was perfectly normal to object to having a gay person in the presence of their children.

The meeting with the teacher and the school administration resolved the situation and Times of Malta is informed that during the meeting the parents admitted that it was only when the story emerged this week and caused a nationwide uproar that they understood that Malta sees LGBT people as equals to everyone else, and that Maltese people have grown to treat homosexuality as normal.

“The meeting was very fruitful and positive and at the end the parents happily accepted to keep their children at the school,” one source said.

“The story does have a happy ending after all.”

Abela 'struck by teacher's love for his job'

On Thursday Robert Abela together with Education Minister Clifton Grima and Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg met with Vassallo and the school's headmaster David Caruana.

In a post on Facebook, Abela said teachers, no matter who they were, did a lot of good.

“I was struck by the determination and love Stefan has for his work.

"I enjoyed hearing from him and the headmaster about how the educational community came together [following the incident]," he said.

Incident triggered uproar

The San Ġwann Primary School serves a student population with diverse cultural backgrounds and when the story emerged earlier this week, school representatives confirmed to Times of Malta that it was not willing to change the teacher.

The teacher, 32-year-old Stefan Vassallo, said he has been in the profession for a decade and this was the first time he was judged as a teacher based on his sexuality.

He described himself as very vocal on LGBTI inclusion in education, but admitted he finds himself continuously “toning down” his personality out of fear that a parent would complain.

At the time the parents also spoke to Times of Malta, explaining that they did not doubt Vassallo’s professionalism but did not accept him as their son’s teacher.

“We are a Christian family, and I believe my children need a healthy environment,” his mother had said.

After the incident Vassallo also wrote an open letter to the parents, urging them to understand the harm they could cause with their actions and calling on them to embrace homosexuality as a normal part of life.