The Ministry of Education has been stepping up its efforts to cater for foreign non-EU students of different cultures in Malta's schools.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said in parliament that an inter-directorate committee has prepared a detail report and recommendations aimed at ensuring that non-EU students, including refugees, are provided with a proper education.

In January, a Third Country Nationals Coordinator was appointed within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education. The coordinator's role is to give support and advice regarding problems of integration.

The directorate was also allocated EU funds so that complementary teachers in state, church and private schools could be instructed on teaching English as a foreign language.

Two primary school teachers are involved in a pilot project focused on the linguistic integration of students. The project is being held at Maria Regina and San Gorg Preca Colleges.

The directorate together with the Foundation for Educational Services organised an eight-lecture course for foreign parents to brief them about the Maltese education system and to discuss these parents can volunteer to help the parents of other foreign children.

These parents can also serve as go-betweens where parents cannot communicate with schools because of the language barrier.

A multi-lingual leaflet on the Maltese education system is also set to be produced by June.

Mr Bartolo said that in classrooms, while discussing respect, citizenship and diversity, teachers of Personal and Social Development were also raising awareness about multi-culturalism. Officials from SOS Malta and the Jesuit Refugee Services are helping out and providing education material.