Inclusive education reform planned in state schools

The Education Ministry is planning to reform its policy on inclusive education in state schools, Education Minister Louis Galea said.

The idea was for inclusive education to be more effective and to help students with special needs to be truly integrated into the education system, he said.

Until the end of the last scholastic year, there were 735 students with a disability at state primary schools in Malta and 75 in Gozo, while 187 in Malta and 32 in Gozo went to secondary school and higher institutions.

The government employs 320 facilitators and 280 supply kindergarten assistants, Dr Galea said, adding that 267 students attended special schools, which employed 120 teachers, including facilitators and kindergarten assistants.

The minister yesterday visited the Skolasajf project at the Lija primary school where he followed part of a course to create awareness among students for the needs of students with a disability.

The course was spread over three days in 20 schools.

The Education Division took the initiative to ask the National Commission - Persons with Disability to help it draft the short course.

It is the first time that a course, which touched on the blind, deaf, physically and mentally disabled, was organised in state schools in keeping with the International Year for Persons with Disability.