The teacher's union is claiming that a police officer engaged by St Albert the Great College to supervise children is using military-style discipline with students.

One child was ordered to do pushups for speaking back to the plainclothes officer, Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici told Times of Malta. 

The union claimed that the off-duty officer was working as a supervisor for children during break times and in classes that have not yet been allocated a teacher. 

"The officer, who was allegedly recruited without any call, used military-style discipline with the children," the MUT said on Monday.

It said it has flagged its concerns about the engagement with the Curia and Education Ministry. 

College denies union claims

But when contacted, College rector Aaron Zahra vehemently denied the claims and said the union was referring to a class focused on community policing, in which officers had spoken to students about their job. 

"No police officer is employed by the school," he said. "We don't use that kind of punishment in our school. I have nothing more to add."  

The union has however stood by its claims.

The off-duty officer employed by the college was one of the uniformed officers to deliver the community policing talk, an MUT spokesperson said. 

"In education we believe in the reinforcement of positive behaviour, not military discipline," he added. 

"It is clear that the rector [Aaron Zahra] is being allowed to manage the school without any consideration to his obligation of providing the best education for the children and youths he is entrusted with.

"Instead, he is managing the college in the most amateurish manner, engaging whomever he wants to carry out a teacher's job."

Zahra ignored further questions that sought to clarify his initial denial. 

Policeman was asked to supervise children, force confirms

The Police Force later admitted that a police officer who was at the college during his free time had been asked to supervise a class on Friday.

While denying the union’s claim that some of its officers were carrying out supervision at St Albert College “in a systematic way”, it admitted that one officer was with the rector when he was asked to supervise a classroom until a school official arrived.

“After an internal investigation, it did not appear in any way that this officer used any method to discipline the students but he used this time to inform them about the operation of the police,” the police said in a statement.

It said this followed an authorised talk on October 12 by two police officers who were sent to the college to speak to students about police work. One of these officers returned to the college last Friday “during his free time”, the police said.  

Months of controversy

The college has been mired in controversy ever since the Dominican Order, which runs the college, fired headmaster Mario Mallia in July.

That sparked a clash with the MUT that has spilled into the current scholastic year.  

Times of Malta reported at the beginning of September that there had been a wave of resignations at the college.

The MUT reiterated on Monday that the college was operating without a licence, because Mallia was the licence holder.