Teacher fined for educating

The Malta Tourism Authority's decision to fine a teacher Lm500 for educating children during a school outing was absurd.

All operators within the tourism business are well aware of the requirements of the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act, and have lobbied and argued constantly against its present wording.

Both sides of the arguments in this case are absolutely correct. The teacher has, it is submitted, an absolute right to motivate his pupils by visiting places of interest. On the other hand, the MTA has an obligation to enforce the law for which it is responsible.

This having been said, the same law has been, and is still being ignored by others who do so only for money, to the detriment of law-abiding excursions providers.

This is the mischief which the law means to address, and not the dedicated teacher attending to the education of his students.