Senior teachers ‘fully support’ union meetings in schools

Senior teachers from Westside, St Martin’s, Governor’s Meadow and Bishop Fitzgerald schools said yesterday that they supported union meetings on their premises.

The senior management teams in the schools issued a joint statement in response to the controversy over the government’s new schools programme and complaints by the Gibraltar Teachers’ Association that it was being barred from holding union meetings on school premises.

“GTA meetings have always occurred in schools with our full support,” the senior teachers from the four schools said.
“Indeed, we firmly believe that this should continue to be so.”

The senior management teams said they had established an effective working relationship with the GTA over the years and felt it was vital that this relationship continue for the active projects on education reform.

“The recent temporary ban came about because senior management teams disagreed with some of the statements made in the press in January 2018, by the GTA, resulting from meetings held with their staff in November 2017,” the joint statement added.

“These referred to the active projects on education reform.”

“To avoid similar disagreements in the future, senior management teams advise that the union consult them prior to any press releases relating to their schools.”

“Senior management teams want to allow GTA meetings to take place on their premises as long as they are formally requested, in a timely manner, following the established protocol.”