Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/430850
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2014 7 News ISSUE NO. 11 – WINTER 2014 – €4 WHERE SOLD ETIQUETTE CULTURE SPORT MUSIC GADGETS MUCH MORE TRAVEL GIFTS ART FOOD WINE the quarterly, quality, life & style magazine Out next Sunday in Maltatoday Union lambasts 'oppressive' Curia plan for teachers TEODOR RELJIC REACTING to media reports on a Curia document which says that only practising Catholics should be allowed to occupy top teaching posts in schools, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) said that it "will be taking all necessary action to protect its members" from what it deems to be a 'medieval' move unless the matter is resolved im- minently. Last Sunday, MaltaToday pub- lished a report on a confidential Curia document through which heads of Catholic schools are be- ing asked by the Maltese archdio- cese to discuss new terms of em- ployment that will guarantee that schools' head teachers and other staff can be safely considered to be "practising Catholics" – or face disciplinary action if their "life choices give scandal or run coun- ter to the ethos of the school". The decision could close the door to the employment of divorced teachers, gay teachers, or even sin- gle parents who have had children out of wedlock, or parents of IVF children, if these "substantive life choices" are not in line with Cath- olic teaching, the MUT said. Pointing out that, "worse still, the document reportedly makes it incumbent upon the individual employee to self-report if he/she enters into such life-choices and also invites prying into the private lives of church school employees," the MUT added, going on to criti- cise the fact that the document "fails to draw a distinction be- tween Church Ministers and Offi- cials on the one hand and Church School Employees on the other". "Employment by the Church in Malta is governed by Maltese Law, which clearly does not allow for such odious distinctions to regu- late the selection or promotion of employees," the MUT pointed out. The MUT said that it will not endorse such a document, "which blatantly goes counter to Maltese employment laws and practices and defies the most basic and fun- damental human rights, such as the right to privacy, the right to family life, inclusion and equality", describing the move as "the most oppressive and repressive employ- ment practices reminiscent of the Middle Ages". The MUT added that it expects the Church authorities to discuss this matter and "bring peace of mind to its church school employ- ees" by the end of this month, fail- ing which the union will be taking "all necessary action" to protect its members. In a statement, the Curia's edu- cation secretariat said that the document was a draft document subject to an ongoing process of internal consultation within the Church and its school authorities. "We reserve our comments until this process is duly and freely con- cluded and the local Church is in a position to make public its offi- cial policies regarding its schools in view of their spiritual and reli- gious identity and mission, in full respect of the fundamental human rights." New police commissioner to seek closure on pending investigations TIM DIACONO ALL cases should be investigated and closed as quickly as possible, new police commissioner Michael Cassar told MaltaToday yester- day. "Obviously, this does not mean that investigations should be car- ried out rashly but it is inexcus- able for a case to keep dragging out if the police already have all the evidence, or at least enough evidence to secure a conviction in court." Cassar, a former security servic- es head and assistant police com- missioner, has previously investi- gated high-profile cases such as the oil scandal, bribery allegations against former EU Commissioner John Dalli and the unsolved case of Nicholas Azzopardi, who died after suffering grievous injuries while in the Floriana police de- pot. Although these cases have been criticised for the way they've dragged out over the years, Cassar said that all investigations he led were conducted and concluded promptly. "While I was investigating, things always moved very quick- ly," Cassar said. "We performed miracles in two and a half months of investigations into the oil case, investigations on the John Dalli case had been completed and it appears as though the Azzop- ardi case was closed around five times." He also said that people will be charged in court accordingly. "I assure you that people will be charged when necessary," Cassar said, when asked for his reaction to cases, such as within the Pub- lic Accounts Committee, where it emerged that police charges against people had been drafted but were not followed up. Cassar was appointed police commissioner on Monday after an inquiry into the Sheehan shooting incident found that Ray Zammit – then acting police commissioner – had acted with "gross negligence". Zammit has now returned to his former role as assistant commis- sioner. YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Pedestrian run over after walking into reversing van in Mriehel JOHN PISANI A pedestrian was hospitalised after she was run over by a van yesterday afternoon. The accident happened in Triq il- Kalkara tal-Gir, in Mriehel, just out- side the MFSA offices. The woman pedestrian was cross- ing the road when the van reversed onto her. An eyewitness who spoke to Mal- taToday said that the pedestrian, an elderly woman, alighted from a Volvo vehicle that was being driven by an- other woman. "She just went out of the car and crossed the road without realising that the van was reversing slowly in- to the road. She walked into its path without seeing the oncoming van," Alfred Farrugia, of Sta Venera, told MaltaToday. Farrugia gave the woman first aid before calling for an ambulance. Her condition is unknown. She was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. District police and the Rapid Inter- vention Unit were summoned on site. New police commissioner: Michael Cassar