St Theresa's College secondary school for boys in Birkirkara, has joined another seven colleges that set up learning support zones to assist students overcome social or emotional difficulties that may contribute to learning or behavioural problems in the classroom.

Learning support zone teacher Aaron Borg explained that students were referred to the zone and a tailor-made programme was drawn up for each child.

A team of teachers worked to help students overcome various difficulties that included issues with self-esteem. Students were also helped to come to terms with their emotions and release stress through games that taught them how to work in groups.

Mr Borg said students with learning difficulties were given special attention in the zones divided into formal areas for the academic work and less formal areas for recreational learning. The learning support zone also offered help to parents and teachers on how best to deal with certain behaviour and attitudes.

College head Frank Fabri noted that the setting up of the zone was the result of a team effort by staff members and students within the college.

About €2,000 were spent to equip the designated area and several schools within the college helped collect the amount. Education Minister Dolores Cristina inaugurated the Birkirkara school's learning zone and explained that learning support zones were in line with the planned educational reform.

The reform, expected to be implemented in 2011, would revise the examination system that lead to the streaming of students. The plan was to move towards a more inclusive system based on each student's level of attainment in individual subjects. In fact, she added, the support zones aimed to integrate students into the mainstream educational system.