Teachers are not equipped to deal with religious diversity in their classrooms, according to a report on the integration of non-EU children in education.

Strategies include accompanying other children as they walk up and down the corridor to kill time and boredom

While non-Catholic students can choose to opt out of the religion lesson, centred round Roman Catholic religion, there is no alternative for them.

“The key concerns expressed by teachers appear to relate to how to occupy such students during religion lessons and other activities that revolve around Roman Catholicism, for example celebrating Mass and the First Holy Communion,” the report, released yesterday, pointed out.

Entitled Integration in Education of Third-Country Nationals, the report explored the level of integration of third-country nationals (TCNs) in schools.

The research was commissioned by the Foundation for Educational Services and was co-funded by the EU.

NGO Aditus carried out the research conducted by Neil Falzon, Maria Pisani and Alba Cauchi.

Researchers adopted a mixed method approach that included online questionnaires and in-depth interviews with heads of schools, teachers, LSAs, complementary teachers and parents.

Telephone interviews with parents were also carried out and researchers sat in on classes. The focus was on State schools but researchers also tapped into independent and Church schools.

There are some 370 students – excluding irregular immigrants – from 50 different countries enrolled in primary or secondary schools, the report found.

Dr Pisani said the first hurdle researchers faced was clarifying what they meant by third-country nationals. Many assumed they were referring to children of irregular immigrants – but asylum-seekers and beneficiaries were excluded from the report.

The report exposed an increasingly multicultural, multilingual environment where schools and teachers grappled with situations on an ad hoc basis without any clear direction.

It showed that language was the biggest stumbling block for non-EU children attending school in Malta.

Dr Pisani spoke about the growing number of students, including Maltese pupils, who did not identify with the Roman Catholic religion.

Estimates suggest that, in some State schools, this could be up to 15 per cent of the student population.

Moreover, religion was not limited to religion lessons but extended to school activities such as art lessons, assembly and lunch time and prayers in class, Dr Pisani said, pointing out that the dominance of the Roman Catholic religion led to marginalisation, even if unintended.

It led to situations where non-Catholic students did not participate in activities, she pointed out.

Findings showed that teachers were unsure on how to deal with religious diversity in he classroom.

“No alternative activities appear to be organised for the increasing number of students who do not participate in class.

“In the absence of planned alternatives, teachers are expected to find their own way of coping with the situation.

“Strategies include asking children to sit at the back of the class and read, or to accompany other children as they walk up and down the corridor to kill time and boredom,” the report says.

Among its recommendations the report said schools should ensure that time spent out of class was structured and educational.

It said that the emphasis on the Roman Catholic religion raised serious questions on the truly inclusive nature of the national curriculum and a discussion at national policy level should he undertaken.

What they said...

• Teacher
“I have Muslims, and I have one Jehovah, but it’s not an issue, they are used to it now, so when we have religion, they have their own activities, they draw, they read...”

• School head
“Well we don’t speak about Islam, but they are allowed to leave the class. Usually for logistical reasons they sit at the back and do something else... I think it’s a very democratic approach.”

• Assistant head
“Maltese people believe that – OK. This is our religion, you know? And this is what we believe, and we are not going to change because of them. And ‘them’, they don’t realise, are Maltese citizens.”