The sectoral council of hourly auxiliary secretarial staff of school boards, part of the national union Isotita, issued a statement on Thursday criticising what it called “misleading remarks” made during a recent session of the House education committee.

The committee had been discussing concerns around pupil absences and communication with parents. Some educational organisations reportedly claimed that the lack of administrative staff in schools made it difficult for teachers to manage parent contact and safety matters. But the union rejected these claims. It pointed out that in primary schools and nurseries, there are no official secretaries, only hourly staff employed by local school boards.

“These workers have no role in child safety,” the union stated, “nor are they mentioned anywhere in the regulations governing school operations.” It also stressed that such staff are neither trained nor paid to handle high-risk responsibilities.

The union went further, accusing teaching organisations of being “misleading” when they claim lack of time prevents them from fulfilling such duties. According to the union, the average classroom teaching time for educators is just 19.3 hours per week.

“There is therefore more than enough time,” the statement said, “for teachers to meet their professional obligations, including liaising with parents.”

The union called on the education committee to notify it in advance whenever its members are mentioned in legislative discussions, so that they can be present and respond directly.