Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/547695
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2015 3 News traffic management the Coast Road, the police also encouraged those in the area who were at a standstill, to keep calm. Transport Malta reacts Transport Malta regretted the inconvenience caused with the clo- sure of the Coast Road. "The issues this morning highlight the impor- tance of the Coast Road and hence our commitment to upgrade it," it said in a weak press release. "This road closure will improve the deadline by around three weeks and will avoid future total closures in more critical times." Transport Malta urged drivers to avoid the area and use alterna- tive routes, through Mgarr Bypass, Mosta and Birkirkara. "Transport Malta is vigilant on the working contractors, who are collaborating fully. Works are on schedule and the road will be open again on Friday morning," the au- thority said, apparently pointing to another two days of gridlock. Teachers more 'cautious' than students, parents, on co-education MIRIAM DALLI A questionnaire survey car- ried out five months into the 2014/2015 scholastic year has found teachers to be more "cau- tious" about co-education in state secondary schools than students and parents. The results are based on the responses of 1,938 students (80% of the student population), 400 teachers (56% of the teacher pop- ulation) and 884 parents (46% of parent population). The report by Mark Borg and Maria Ciappara found that eight in 10 students were happy and content at school, with 84% indi- cating that they were doing well at school. One in four teachers felt that students were generally doing well in a co-education school; and while almost half indicated that co-education "made no differ- ence", around 21% of the teachers felt that the students were gener- ally "underachieving in a co-edu- cation setting". 78% of the teachers also reported that they had settled down in the new setting while 12% called for additional support to maintain discipline in the classroom. On their part, the parents' and guardians' views reflected those of the children. Only 1.5% declared dissatisfaction with the school and the co-education system, with 92% feeling that the child had settled down. 85% said their child was doing well at school. The report warned that several challenges remained, the major one being the transition from middle to senior school. "Only by thorough preparation across all of these schools, and by remaining constantly vigilant, can the co- education experience be a truly positive one for all students," Borg and Ciappara said. Publishing the report, Educa- tion Minister Evarist Bartolo said that the co-education setting had proved to be more of a challenge to teachers in the secondary sec- tor who were used to teaching single-sex classes. "With teachers gaining more ex- perience, such issues will no long- er prevail. But, realistically speak- ing, issues such as discipline and respect are raised everywhere, irrespective of the school setting," he said. Bartolo said that the goal behind the survey was to study the par- ticipants' views, and not to com- pare co-education and single-sex schools. According to the min- ister, it was too early to compare academic results. Zammit was responsible for remote gaming investigations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It had also been apparent at the time in 2010, that Zammit had gone into business with Luke Chetcuti, the son of Paceville impresario Hugo Chetcuti, with a 33.3% sharehold- ing in Diabolik Entertainment Ltd – in violation of the Public Service Management Code and the Po- lice Act which require the express permission of the permanent sec- retary for police officers to set up businesses. Another source told MaltaToday that Zammit returned to police in- vestigations, this time within the economic crimes unit soon after the Labour election victory. At the time the police were in the port- folio of responsibilities of former minister Manuel Mallia. "It was under political pressure from the home affairs ministry," the second source said, adding that remote gaming investigations fell under his purview as part of his role. After being boarded out of the force in May 2015, only two weeks later Zammit incorporated con- sultancy firm Tyche Consultancy Limited, at a Swieqi address. Daniel Zammit's name rose to prominence when the police in- spector was medically 'boarded out' of the police corps within four days of making his request, and then was drafted into a €60,000 position within Enemalta's internal audit division. The position was immediately revoked by energy minister Konrad Mizzi when he learned of the manner in which the employment occurred. Zammit's role in the police force has however raised questions about his actions as co-prosecutor in the murder charges against the former son-in-law of Joseph Gaf- farena in December 2008, and the subsequent business relationships subsisting between the Gaffarenas and the Zammit family. Last week, MaltaToday revealed that Zammit was sold a parcel of land in Bahrija in 2009 by a third party, land that was originally sold by the Gaffarenas' company Alfaclass. The land was part of an agricultural holding owned by the Gaffarenas in Bahrija. The Zammits remained in busi- ness with the Gaffarenas, with their shares in Geras Healthcare Limited held in the name of Jane Zammit, the mother of Daniel Zammit. The proximity of the two families has rightfully raised questions as to why the prosecution of Stephen Caruana, the former husband of Romina Gaffarena who stands ac- cused of the murder of Neville Bal- dacchino, is still at the compilation of evidence stage. Additionally, MaltaToday last week revealed that Tyche Consul- tancy was registered at an address where Luigi Fabio Padovani, the son of a convicted Mafia associate, had also been registered. Padovani's identity card number was registered at the Swieqi ad- dress at Compass Point buildings, where Zammit's Tyche Consultan- cy is registered. Padovani's father Antonio was dubbed the 'slot machine king' after he used his gambling businesses to clinch state concessions, and forge business relationships on behalf of the Sicilian mafia with Renato Grasso, a Camorra associate. According to Reggio Calabria in- vestigators, who last week issued arrest warrants for 41 men and women – six of whom were arrest- ed in Malta – the Grasso-Padovani duo had also extended their alli- ance with 'Ndrangheta associates, namely Mario Gennaro. Gennaro was arrested in Malta on the strength of a European Ar- rest Warrant last week together with other associates, and is await- ing extradition to Italy. There is no suggestion of any link with organised criminality by ei- ther Roderick or Daniel Zammit. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Education Minister Evarist Bartolo (second from right): the idea behind the survey was not to compare co-education and single-sex schools