Highlights from submissions

During the six-month term of the national review, the Working Group consulted with the main stakeholders - students with individual needs and persons with disability; their families; teachers and school administrators; professionals; representatives of the University of Malta, MCAST, the Education Division and various units supplying educational services; state, Church and independent schools; teaching and learning support staff; NGOs; the leaders of the Opposition and Alternattiva Demokratika, and the public.

Some of their main suggestions reflect on the role of the facilitators, which are termed "learning support assistants". These, it was suggested, should be changed regularly and according to the need, as this helps children adapt to change.

While overprotection of the students with special needs jeopardises the child's independence and enjoyment of schooling, facilitators should realise that they are there for other children in the class, and not just for the disabled child.

Some respondents said that when a learning support assistant does not function well, his or her ability to be such an assistant should be questioned and he or she should not be simply transferred to another child.

Furthermore, it is important that an assistant, who should not have more than two children and should not be shared with different classes, is assigned to a child according to both needs and character, and not simply on the basis of "who is next on the list".

With regard to the relation between teachers and assistants, respondents said that while some teachers only want assistants to help students with mobility problems, the demarcation line between the roles of both should be made clear. Collaboration between learning support assistants and teachers is essential for the statemented child to belong to the class, but it is the teacher who is ultimately responsible for the child's education and therefore the parents should not only consult with the assistants but also with the teacher.

It was also proposed that assistants be called "teacher assistants (learning support)" and that they should be assigned to a specific year group and move with a child only when this has been identified as being necessary in the Individualised Education Programme.

Concern was registered over children in Church schools who are kept at home when assistants are sick or away on training. These schools cannot use the ad hoc reserve pool on call at the Education Division, which leads to absenteeism, which shouldn't be allowed, some stated.

Respondents also said that statements should state whether the one-to-one assistant is being given for academic support, which enables the student to stay at school when the assistant is absent, or behavioural support (or both), in which case a decision on whether a child can stay on his or her own should be based on the child's needs. Sending the child home when an assistant is absent should only be the last resort.

Other highlights include observations regarding the assistants' qualifications. Assistants "are recruited with minimal qualifications and have to wait a long time to attend the diploma course", it was noted, as was NGOs' important and valuable role in inclusive education.

Furthermore, the Statementing Moderating Panel should oversee the implementation of its decisions which fall under the responsibility of the heads of school, and statemented children should be regularly monitored to ensure that they do not receive more, or less, support than they need.