Working LEGALLY in Malta

A Word to the Un-Wise:  Don’t Try  It

                                                                      

I am so glad I didn't listen to all those people--
both locals and other expats—who told me I could get
away with teaching English without all the necessary documents. People do it all the time, they would say.

Last week, right in the middle of one of my classes,
three officials (men) knocked on my classroom door and
asked if they could interrupt.  I didn’t get a chance to say no.

 

Two were from the ETC and one was from the Ministry of Education—the EFL Division.  They asked for my work
permit number and my English-teaching license number. 
And I had to sign some papers.  All this is front of a
classroom of students.

 

Well, I do leave home without all my working documents. 
It never occurred to me that I would have to carry them
around with me.  Besides, all my documents were
supposedly on file with the school where I work.

 

Apparently not.

 

I told the officials that my documents were home. I wasn’t
nervous at all because I had no reason to be. 
I was more annoyed at the interruption.

 

So they go out (switching to present simple now to
create immediacy) and the next thing the DOS of my school is
knocking on the door.

 

I don’t have your numbers; you must go home and get
them immediately, she says frantically.  So believe it or not,
I have to leave my students sitting there and go home and
get my papers.  Luckily, I live right near the school and I'm
back in about seven minutes.

 

But most luckily of all, I had those documents!  I did it the legal
way, thank G-d.  So it was just a matter of producing them.

 

Malta takes its English education very seriously because
EFL students are a major part of its tourism industry. 

 

Now, do you know what would have happened to me if I didn’t
have those permits and licenses?  It’s happened to other people
in other schools and in other vocations.  

I don’t know what happens to the school (I’m sure it doesn’t get
nominated for school of the year in Malta), but I do know
what would’ve happened to me:  Just look up at the word PULIZJIA...

And I’m not kidding.

Comments

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Mary--Believe it or not, I didn't have a hot flash then. But that would be typical. I was actually more annoyed than anything. People at the school are still talking about the surprise visit by the Maltese feds--and breathing a hot sigh of relief. Thanks for your thoughts.

Dee-Well, now that you looked up that word, you know what could have happened!---Ilene

[Dee Owen]

Finally got to 'look up' Pulizjia...Police, which I sortofigured!!

[Mary Bartolotta]

Thank God you have what you need. I can picture you totally freaking out and having a hot flash without your trusty fan, in what sounds like abominabal heat. Good luck my friend. In the future I guess you must follow the American Express motto: "Don't leave home without the documents". One more good story from Malta and you haven't been there long at all. Take care and be well.

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Sebastian--nice to hear from you. Yes, the documents I was referring to include the general work permit for non-EU citizens and a license to teach English in Malta, granted by the Ministry of Education. Neither are easy to get--Ilene

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Joe--thanks for your comment. Yes, the school has AC--sort of. It depends what room you're in. In the DOS's office, the AC is always perfect. But in the classrooms, it's hit or miss. I did something really stupid the other day,though. I accidentally turned on the heat instead of the AC. In Malta, the heat and AC come out of the same vent. I somehow pushed the wrong button.

[sebastian]

sorry. i did not read the previous comment. i slightly misunderstood what documents mean.

[sebastian]

who said that is possible to work without the papers done, maybe forgot to mention that this is called "black labour" (translation from german and romanian). it is possible to work black but it is illegal. i'm pretty sure it applies in all the countries.

[Joe Arevalo]

Hi Ilene, I wondered about this. Someone told me the school would be fined if caught with non licensed teachers but no one ever told me they would be coming to the classroom to check. Now if one can get the students to show up for class as regular as the the officials everything would be perfect. Curiously, how did everyone survive the 41+ degree weather? Tell me the school has air-conditioning.