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4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 FEBRUARY 2026 prosecution objected, citing the seri- NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 But the report also places Malta among the countries that have recorded a significant long-term decline since 2012. The score represents an eight- point drop over the past dec- ade, putting Malta alongside Spain and Hungary as one of the notable decliners in West- ern Europe and the European Union. The report highlights grow- ing concerns about governance and accountability as anti-cor- ruption efforts stagnate across Europe. Transparency Interna- tional said the erosion of an- ti-corruption standards across the region reflects a widening gap between laws on paper and their enforcement, as well as weakening political commit- ment to integrity in public of- fice. Although Western Europe and the EU remain the world's least corrupt region overall, the regional average score has fallen from 66 to 64 over the past decade. Thirteen coun- tries have registered signifi- cant declines, while only seven have improved, signalling what Transparency International described as stalled progress and a failure of leadership. Malta's continued drop comes amid broader concerns about democratic backsliding and in- sufficient accountability mech- anisms across Europe. Trans- parency International warned that attacks on civil society, independent media and whis- tleblowers are making abuses of power harder to detect and expose, further undermining public trust in institutions. At EU level, the adoption of the bloc's first Anti-Corrup- tion Directive in December 2025 was seen as a missed op- portunity. While intended to harmonise criminal laws and promote a zero-tolerance ap- proach, key provisions were weakened during negotiations, resulting in a framework that lacks ambition, clarity and en- forceability, Transparency In- ternational said. As member states prepare to transpose the directive into national law, the organisation urged governments to treat it as a starting point rather than a ceiling, and to pursue more robust reforms to strengthen enforcement and oversight. Across the region, tradition- ally strong democracies have also seen their scores fall. France scored 66, the UK 70 and Sweden 80, reflecting what Transparency International described as a broader pattern of declining leadership and weakening integrity systems even in well-performing states. Globally, the CPI 2025 paints a similarly bleak picture. The index shows corruption wors- ening worldwide, with the global average score dropping to 42, its lowest level in more than a decade. More than two- thirds of countries now score below 50, indicating serious corruption challenges. Transparency International chair François Valérian warned that the absence of bold leader- ship is undermining the global fight against corruption and weakening international pres- sure for reform. The CPI ranks 182 coun- tries and territories based on perceptions of public sector corruption, drawing on data from 13 independent sources, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Corruption Perceptions Index highlights growing concerns about governance and accountability as anti-corruption efforts stagnate across Europe • Western European region registers score decline Report highlights growing concerns about governance and accountability CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 School security resurfaced as an issue last December when a 14-year-old student at St Claire's College Secondary School in Pembroke attacked a fellow stu- dent with a knife. The victim had to be hospitalised with serious stab wounds. The aggressor was subsequently charged in court and is pleading not guilty. Testifying in court, a police officer said that apart from the knife, the perpetrator had also been carrying a "Molotov-like" substance in his bag. The Education Ministry subse- quently set up a working group with a remit that includes re- viewing security protocols in schools. The work of this group is still ongoing. Speaking in front of the par- liamentary committee, Bonnici said in 2020 state primary and secondary schools had intro- duced a security guard and re- ception areas to control physical access into schools. However, following last December's inci- dent, the union called for school security to be enhanced. During the same committee session, an education official said several new standard op- erating procedures were being drawn up to help school ad- ministrators deal with certain situations. These include a new protocol on handling radicali- sation and extremism, and one dealing with school evacuations resulting from various incidents whether these are terrorist-re- lated, natural disasters, a natural death on school grounds or a public health emergency. Committee member, Labour MP Abigail Camilleri, an edu- cator by profession, said it was important for educators to be taught how to handle situations on the ground. "Teaching the teachers is important because in my 20-year career as a teacher I've never had training on how to deal with certain situations," she said. The committee dealt with several other issues, including school bullying, cyber bullying, discipline, social support for students with vulnerable back- grounds, multiculturalism and its impact on schools. Each of these issues will be tackled at depth in subsequent meetings. The parliamentary commit- tee is chaired by Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar and has as its members Labour MPs Abigail Camilleri, Ray Abela and Katya De Giovanni; and Opposition MPs Justin Schembri, David Agius and Albert Buttigieg. MP says teachers unprepared for crisis situations in school The student in the December knifing incident being accompanied to court by the police (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)