LSE directives suspended, union warns action will continue if negotiations fail

Updated 4.15pm

An educators' union has suspended directives that saw "tens of children" being sent home from school every day, after it was promised a meeting with the education ministry.

The daily disruption was due to a directive by the Union of Professional Educators (UPE), which bans Learning Support Educators (LSEs) from covering for sick colleagues.

It means children with special needs were left without the one-on-one support they are entitled to, and in many cases, they are sent straight back home.

But in an update late on Saturday afternoon, the UPE said the ministry has reached out to the union to start discussions.

"As a sign of goodwill, UPE will temporarily suspend two directives during talks. If negotiations fail, the directives will be reinstated immediately."

Earlier, the commissioner for education, Vincent De Gaetano, had criticised the authorities for failing to take effective action to address the situation.

One month after he recommended the ministry take immediate action, nothing has changed.

The ministry has repeatedly shut the door on talks- UPE boss Graham Sansone

The education ministry’s request for a court injunction to block the UPE directives was denied last week.

UPE boss Graham Sansone said the ministry had repeatedly shut the door on talks.

“The ministry doesn’t want to engage with the UPE despite several tens of students being sent home on a daily basis due to the directive,” he said.

The saga dates to May, when the mother of a seven-year-old boy filed a formal complaint after her son, assigned a one-to-one LSE at Sliema primary school, was left at home because his support worker was off on long-term sick leave. The education authorities were unable to find a replacement.

Limited dialogue, little progress

The UPE, which represents around 3,000 LSEs in state schools, began issuing restrictions in January, warning members not to cover for sick colleagues.

The education commissioner, who has no power to investigate the unions’ actions, stressed that the authorities had an overriding duty to protect the interests of students.

Correspondence between the parties revealed entrenched positions, limited dialogue and little progress toward resolution. Notably, there had been no direct face-to-face meeting between the ministry for education and the UPE since May 2024, reflecting a lack of genuine engagement to resolve the matter, the commissioner said.

He further noted that the Sliema case was not an isolated case. His office has received similar complaints and has launched a wider probe into LSE waiting lists and the statementing process.

He recommended that the education authorities invite the UPE to engage in direct discussions without preconditions to address the ongoing industrial directives affecting students with special educational needs. However, this did not happen and the case was subsequently referred to the prime minister and the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Ministry: We have asked UPE to withdraw two directives

The education ministry was approached for comment.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the ministry said meetings with the UPE have continued and that previous public statements made by the union's president confirm that.

It said it has formally asked the UPE to withdraw "two specific directives out of the many currently in force, given that these particular directives are directly impacting the most vulnerable students who depend on learning support."

"The ministry reiterates that it has always been open to dialogue and remains committed to resolving issues through discussion and collaboration in the best interest of students and educators alike," it said.