Updated 5.35pm, adds ministry statement

The headteacher of Ġorġ Preca Primary school in Ħamrun was assaulted by a parent during admission time on Wednesday. 

A police spokesman told Times of Malta that two women, a 57-year-old from St Paul's Bay and a 28-year-old from Marsa, were involved in an altercation at 8.30am at a school in Ġuże Pace Street. 

The 57-year-old woman suffered slight injuries and police are still investigating the incident. 

According to a statement released by the Malta Union of Teachers, the parent reacted violently to a decision taken by the school to prevent a student from going on an outing while sick with a medical certificate. 

MUT condemned the aggression and reiterated calls for security measures to be placed in schools to protect educators at their workplace. 

The union appealed to the government to not continue to dawdle on the matter and implement security measures through funds that had already been allocated but, to this date, remained unutilised. 

"Unless proper action is taken, more preventable incidents like this are bound to continue to happen," the statement read. 

Ministry statement

In another statement, the Education Ministry condemned all acts of violence carried out on educators in schools. 

The ministry said it was currently working to introduce security officials in state schools as well as other security measures.

A public call for a three-year plan to improve surveillance in schools had been issued and was currently being evaluated, the statement said.