The Education Ministry today launched a report on inclusive education in Malta audited by the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education.

This report looks into the local education structures and analyses their strengths and weaknesses. It provides an assessment of the current situation at present.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that one of the most important things the report recommended was a radical mind shift from a charity based approach, which leads to dependency, to a human rights one.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for wide ranging national discussion to clarify the definition of inclusion. This needed to be followed up by a review of the policies and the law.

The report also notes that while there is support for teaching staff and schools, this has to be refocused to help meet the needs of all learners. There also needs to be ongoing training and the report recommends the setting up of a national training body. Schools have to be given support to help develop a curriculum that would engage all learners, it says.

The report states that the Maltese education structure for inclusive learning presented difficulties for stake holders and some system factors promoted an integrative rather than an inclusive approach.

The report also calls for a long term approach to policy making and notes that support has to be provided at all levels.

Mr Bartolo said that children’s education had to be everyone’s responsibility and not just the teachers. There had to be comprehensive responsibility, including the teacher’s, the principal’s and the ministry’s.

The report, its findings and recommendations, is open to consultation until end of March before it starts to be implemented. Feedback can be sent to feedback.mede@gov.mt.​