The Government is “in no hurry” to start handing out computer tablets to schoolchildren but details will be unveiled when the strategy to combat illiteracy is launched, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said yesterday.

In its electoral manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to give computer tablets to Year 4 students as part of the illiteracy strategy.

Fielding questions from journalists yesterday, Mr Bartolo said that the strategy will be launched over the next few weeks and the timing of the tablets will be announced then.

He was speaking during a press conference during which he launched a consultation process to improve exam accessibility for students with learning disabilities.

Meetings will be held with stakeholders and with the pub-lic over the next few weeks. The consultation process will come to a close on April 22 with a conference.

Mr Bartolo also announced changes in the manner in which benchmarking exams in Maltese and English are held to make them more accessible. Benchmarking exams replaced the junior lyceum exams in 2011. Students in Year 6 are now tested in three core subjects: English, Maltese and Maths.

Till today, assistance for students with disabilities was only provided during Maths exams.

Grace Grima, director general within the directorate of quality and standards in education, said that students will now also be helped during English and Maltese exams.

Those who sit for the writing exams will be assisted by a scribe who will help them make legible words.

During the reading comprehension, students with learning disabilities will be assisted by an electronic screen that will highlight and read out the text for them. They will then reply to questions about the text.

Feedback for the consultation process can be sent to access.mede@gov.mt.