The Malta Union of Teachers celebrates 100th anniversary
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Dating back to 1919, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) was the first trade union established in Malta. MUT recently held a series of activities to mark this important anniversary. These included an animated lecture about its history in June, the official opening of its new headquarters in October, and a conference on education issues in Malta and in the EU at which our European Director Susan Flocken participated.
The concluding event was held on 6 December under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Malta, HE Dr George Vella, and consisted of the unveiling of a commemorative monument by the MUT President Mr Marco Bonnici. The figurative bronze monument was erected in the historical gardens of The Mall in Floriana, close to the primary school where the very first meeting of MUT took place on 22 November 1919. The statue, by renowned Maltese sculptor Chris Ebejer, depicts a girl reading a book with butterflies flying through an open door. It emphasises that the student is at the centre of the work of MUT with the book signifying knowledge, butterflies signifying wisdom and the open door signifying that education opens doors. MUT’s work shall now continue with the setting up of a foundation on education in early 2020 and the opening of its new offices on Malta’s sister island Gozo next year.