Malta’s Teachers Demand End to Colonial-Era Gag Order
In the heart of Valletta, outside the Education Ministry’s doors, a small but determined group of teachers and supporters gathered, holding placards that read, “Lift the gag order.” They weren’t protesting a lack of chalk or overcrowded classrooms, but something far more fundamental: the right to speak freely about their profession.
Colonial-Era Silencing Order
At the core of the protest lies an order dating back to British colonial rule, Section 33 of the Public Service Management Act. This ‘gag order’ prohibits teachers from speaking publicly about their working conditions, salaries, or any other aspects of their employment without prior approval from the Education Minister. It’s a relic of a bygone era, argue its critics, and it’s high time it was consigned to the history books.
“We’re not asking for the moon,” says Mario Mallia, a teacher of 20 years and one of the protest’s organisers. “We’re simply asking for the right to discuss our working conditions openly, like any other profession. This order is a remnant of colonialism, and it’s long past its sell-by date.”
ADPD’s Call to Action
The Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) Party has been at the forefront of the campaign to repeal the order. In a statement, ADPD, the party’s parliamentary group, called for the immediate lifting of the gag order, describing it as “an affront to freedom of speech and a barrier to meaningful dialogue about education in Malta.”
“Teachers are on the frontline of education, yet they’re being silenced,” says Michael Briguglio, ADPD’s spokesperson on education. “How can we expect them to contribute to the national debate on education when they’re gagged? It’s absurd.”
Local Support and Global Context
Support for the teachers’ cause extends beyond the education sector. Trade unions, civil liberties groups, and even some parents have thrown their weight behind the campaign. “It’s about more than just teachers’ rights,” says Graham Aquilina, General Secretary of the Malta Union of Teachers. “It’s about the right of every Maltese citizen to have an open and honest debate about our schools and our children’s future.”
Globally, too, the campaign resonates. Similar ‘gag orders’ have been challenged and repealed in other former colonies, from India to Kenya. Here in Malta, though, the order persists, a stubborn anachronism in the 21st century.
“We’re not asking for special treatment,” says Mallia. “We’re asking for the same rights as every other Maltese citizen. The right to speak freely, to criticise, to suggest improvements. That’s all we want.”
As the protest outside the Education Ministry’s doors wound down, the teachers and their supporters dispersed, but their message echoed through the historic streets of Valletta. The colonial-era gag order may have silenced generations of teachers, but it seems it can no longer muffle the call for change.
