Garcia: 50 % teacher turnout encouraging

Education Minister Anthony Garcia has said he is encouraged by the attendance of teachers on today's union-designated day to "rest and reflect."

In a press conference at the ministry's head office this morning, Garcia said across all seven districts, there was an average attendance of 50 per cent at the primary level and 52.5 per cent at the secondary level.

Garcia said these figures were preliminary figures.

"When we talk about an average attendance of 50 per cent, the statistics will show that on any given day there is an attendance of 75 per cent, so even if we extrapolate we are very encouraged by these numbers," Garcia said.

"I am happy to say that learning and teaching went on in the large majority of our schools, more than 95 per cent of our schools today."