A couple has withdrawn their children from a government primary school after they discovered their son’s new teacher was gay, a fact they claimed went against their “personal Christian” values.

Sources told Times of Malta how the couple reached out to staff at St Clare College Primary School San Ġwann on Friday to inquire about their son’s new Year 3 teacher. 

The couple said the new teacher was a man who carried a bag with a rainbow flag on it and told the school 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 parents decided to transfer the children to a “more suitable” environment. 

The school - which serves a student population with diverse cultural backgrounds - told Times of Malta it was not willing to change the teacher and that the parents are now trying to send the children to another school.

Times of Malta spoke to the teacher, Stefan Vassallo, who 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.

“In reality, you are always walking on eggshells, as you never know if there are people or parents who might judge you,” he said.

While the 32-year-old described himself as very vocal on LGBTIQ+ inclusion in education, he finds himself continuously “toning down” his personality out of hesitation that a parent would complain.

“I am lucky that I feel safe in this school, and my headmaster and staff support me, but what happened last week hurt me and I am tired of this pain,” he said.

Vassallo never met the parents, but after the incident he wrote a letter pouring out his feelings on the issue.

“The belief that children should be kept away from LGBTQ+ individuals is deeply harmful – not only to the segment of society being excluded but also to the children who are being forced to internalise such stigmatising views,” he wrote.

The belief that children should be kept away from LGBTQ+ individuals is deeply harmful

“Framing this as ‘protecting the children’ does not make it any less damaging either. Teaching children to fear, exclude or dismiss a group of people is not protection – it is an attempt to blind them to the diversity and complexity of the world around them, keeping them in the dark and limiting their ability to develop the empathy and respect they need to thrive.”

'This sense of ignorance brings fear to others'

In the letter, Vassallo also addressed how the parents’ comments for a more “suitable environment” triggered a sense of shame in himself. 

“A sense of shame that I grew up with and battled for years, but that I am now well-trained to handle and overcome,” he wrote. 

“I ask you to become more aware of the harm you are perpetuating and putting out into the world. I like to believe that this harm is not intentional, but it is high time that you recognise its effects.”

He said that, as a teacher, it is his duty to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for all his students, regardless of their identities or backgrounds, and that his beliefs and personal life should never interfere with his responsibility. 

“I have known of cases where a teacher had a rainbow in her classroom and parents complained to have it removed. This happened just last year. Unfortunately, this sense of ignorance brings fear to others.”

He said LGBTQ+ inclusion in education is often misunderstood.“It’s about normalising diversity, including various family structures – like single-parent families, same-gender families or extended families – so children grow up with empathy and understanding and the ability to combat stereotypes and prejudice,” he said. 

He ended his letter by noting how all children and educators deserve an education system that “empowers them to grow and succeed in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment”.

‘We are a Christian family’

Speaking to Times of Malta, the mother said she decided to transfer her children due to “personal reasons”.

She said her children also witnessed other children “kissing” in the playground, and it made them uncomfortable.

While she never met or spoke to the teacher, and did not doubt his professionalism, she said she did not accept him to teach her children.

“I accept his personality, and what he wants to do in his life, but I do not want him to be the teacher of my children,” she said.

When asked why she decided to transfer her children, she said the “school knows why”.

“This is my reason. We are a Christian family, and I believe my children need a healthy environment,” she said.