International Day of Education

Today is the International Day of Education. This is a day to re-evaluate our education as well as to identify and address the issues of our education.

The European Commission’s Malta 2022 country report states: Due to a tight labour market and relatively poor education outcomes, shortages of workers and skills have increased in recent years… Moreover, a large percentage of pupils fail to achieve a minimum proficiency level and underachievement in basic skills is particularly high among disadvantaged students.

Various changes in our education system have taken place throughout the years, changes which directly affected students with disabilities.

Many students with disabilities come out of our system lacking life and social development skills. Photo: Shutterstock.com

These changes were never discussed with us NGOs and we were never informed about them. The NGOs learn about the situation of the education system through the parents and this when things are not working well.

This situation is unacceptable. Throughout the years, the Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD) kept voicing its concern about this practice and things never changed. We have a system where the student must adapt to the curriculum, instead of the other way round.

This notwithstanding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) stating that (3.) states parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community.

Many students with disabilities are coming out of our system lacking life and social development skills. MFOPD notes that students with disabilities are finishing their obligatory educational years not yet ready for the life outside school and for employment.

The institutions available where students with an intellectual impairment can continue their development leave much to be desired.

As stated in Malta’s 2022 country report, “public expenditure on education is above the EU average and increased in the last decade”. Notwithstanding, our results are what they are.

MFOPD augurs that this year’s International Day of Education brings about changes. The involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the decision-making which affects them lies at the heart of the UNCRPD, reflecting the slogan of the disability movement ‘nothing about us without us’.

Marthese Mugliette, president, Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability – Santa Venera

Convenience or inconvenience?

I wish to invite the officer/s in charge of the upkeep of the public conveniences to go and have a look at the one in Melita Street, corner with Merchants Street, Valletta.

He/she might wish to rename the place public inconvenience after this visit.

And what about other public conveniences on the island? Could it possibly be it is the same standard everywhere?

Miriam Caruana – Swieqi