WHEN TEACHER SANDRA GAUCI WENT BANANAS: THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S CODE OF ETHICS

by a Blog Reader

Sandra Gauci lives two lives. One exudes an airbrushed aura, as a teacher in a public school and the leader of the ADPD, Malta’s third largest political party. The other is a ħamallaġni, even by fringe standards. On May 1, Sandra found her video centre stage on this blog. In her video she went into extensive detail about her husband’s anatomical and hygiene shortcomings. She couldn’t stoop lower.

Pre-Video Sandra

Immediately she wrote to this blog post, seeking to justify what she did. She told us readers that the video was 10 years old, and that “to give some context”, she was representing Malta in the Edinburgh Fringe, “a world renowned.” If it was world renowned, a global audience was expected. She expressed no remorse, no regrets. Her last three words were “I was right.” 

Things took a turn for the worse on her Facebook page around the same time, where she blurted out that the video was shot only 5 years ago, in 2019. She speculated that “Milli jidher… Simon [Mercieca qed] jxerrdu b’mod malizzjuz u vili… L-unika indiema hi li nies bħal Mercieca jgħallmu l-Università.” Translates: “It seems that Simon Mercieca is distributing my video in a vile and malicious way… My only regret is that Mercieca teaches at the University.” That was her only regret. Her solution? Shoot the messenger, spare the speaker. Minutes later, in another twist, and without explanation, she scrapped the references to the video and Mercieca from her Facebook page. She probably realized belatedly that Mercieca wasn’t going to take the gallows for her.

Sandra is a teacher of Italian in public schools with 22 years of experience. She is fully aware that she is governed by the Maltese Department of Education’s Code of Ethics and Practice (2012). “This code addresses the relationship that teachers should have with various stakeholders, not least the… students… and the general community. The implementation of this code is of paramount importance to ensure that the profession continues to enjoy… respect… Our ancestors have worked very hard to earn this respect and it is our duty to maintain it at the highest possible level” (p. 9). Furthermore, “a teacher shall endeavour to be a role model and shall act within the community in a manner which enhances the prestige of the profession” (p. 14). I will not quote her words in the video. They are salacious and perverse. This was worse than an Only Fans performance because she brought in her ex-husband with his personal inadequacies, without his consent.

Post-Video Sandra

Under the first key principle of the Ethics, a teacher shall “be sensitive to the need for confidentiality.” Instead she kicked the bedroom door wide open for all the world, including her students, to see.

Under the second key principle, she was supposed to “act with a professional attitude and behaviour at all times.” This includes when a teacher is representing Malta, on public stage. “All times” allows for no exceptions.

The fourth key principle admonishes her once again to “refrain from making public statements which bring the profession into disrepute.”

The fifth key principle emphasizes integrity, that she be “mindful of [her] position as a role model to students.” God forbid her students parroting even a small part of her foul comments.

“The principles of good conduct” (p. 14) were thrown out of the window by the errant teacher. 

The Council for the Teaching Profession in Malta, run by several council members, almost all women, is entrusted under the Education Act with inquir[ing] into… professional misconduct… by a teacher.” The Council is best suited to restore the dignity of the profession and its wayward teacher. To err is human, but to really foul things up the way she did, it could be that we are also erring. We could be doing so by expecting from her that which isn’t within her power.