A healthy inclusive and special education environment should be responsive to the differing developmental capacities, needs and potential of all students, from kindergarten to tertiary and adult education, a national review has highlighted.

The report, entitled Inclusive and Special Education Review, was published last month by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment. It was conducted by a Working Group chaired by Lino Spiteri and composed of principal education officer George Borg, National Commissioner for Persons with a Disability official Anne-Marie Callus, Higher Secondary Education teacher Joe Cauchi and Education Ministry policy coordinator Micheline Sciberras.

The Working Group was appointed by Education Minister Louis Galea in December to report on the situation, policy and practice of inclusive education in schools, especially special schools, and on the disabled person's preparation for employment and recreation opportunities, given that the aim of inclusive education is to achieve the fullest possible social integration and individual development.

Lino Spiteri, chairman of the Working Group, said that in a broad context, there is not enough discussion and focus on issues of interest to disabled persons.

"This is exemplified, perhaps also typified, in the transition - often, lack of it - of persons with a disability to suitable gainful occupation," he said.

The group also recommended the role and functions the schools should have in today's educational set-up for children and students with special needs in view of the National Curriculum, which states that inclusive education is based on society's commitment to adopt and implement strategies and policies, and of the Inclusive Education Policy. This policy describes the function of the Individualised Education Programme and stipulates situations when an informal process or a formal statementing process (which assesses the needs of the disabled student) is to be adopted and how this should be done.

The group also reported on the effective use and value for money of human and financial resources dedicated to this area, on the resources needed and how the provision of the service in this field can become more cost-effective.

Over the years there has been a growing interest in inclusive education, manifested in the development of governmental, non-governmental and private entities' provision of services, with an emphasis on collaboration and cooperation between everyone. The lack of political partisanship surrounding the issue may have also played a part.

Mr Spiteri said that currently there is a lot of discussion among parents and carers of students with individual educational needs, and among students with disability.

"There are also educators who take a keen interest in the area. The Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b'Dizabilità in particular, and also voluntary organisations that focus on the interests of disabled persons bring great focus to bear on the area."

Malta, like Switzerland and Belgium, follows a two-track approach, whereby inclusion is achieved through both mainstream and special needs education systems. Locally, there are five special schools (state) in Malta and one (state) in Gozo out of a total of 303 states, Church and independent schools. These cater for 267 students in Malta and 19 in Gozo.

With regard to mainstream schools, 985 students with special needs attend state schools, 385 attend Church schools and nine attend independent schools in Malta, while 102 students attend state schools and 18 attend Church schools in Gozo. There are only three such students receiving higher secondary education.

The report states that although inclusion should mean enabling all students to participate in the life of mainstream institutions to the best of their abilities, whatever their needs, inclusion in the local education system is deeply embedded in a framework of selectivity and, implicitly, exclusion.

Under the two-track approach operated in Malta, a policy of inclusion is followed in mainstream schools, while special schools are providing a service for a tiny minority of students whose needs can best be met through the individualised learning provision to be found in such schools.

The report states that to fulfil and sustain a policy of real and progressive inclusion, there should be learning support in mainstream schools provided by adequately trained personnel, and syllabi within the framework of the National Curriculum should be adapted to meet individual student needs.

The Repositioning Plan the Working Group has proposed should, the report says, redefine the current scenario by redrawing policies, systems and practices with more focus, efficiency and effectiveness than at present. The plan is to be drawn up by the Education Division in consultation with the major stakeholders in the sector.

Parallel to this plan, which should be implemented over seven to 10 years starting from next year, the group has also suggested running a short-to-medium term four-year Parallel Programme, starting immediately, to address existing shortcomings and gaps and to finally merge with the Repositioning Plan.

Mr Spiteri said: "The report of the Working Group goes into extensive detail regarding the existing state of inclusive and special education provision to students with individual educational needs, pointing out both omissions as well as areas where, the group feels, provision and implementation should and could be reviewed, expanded or improved.

"The recommendations 'mesh' together and can only be implemented gradually, but should be given specific time frames. That is why the group set them out in the context of a Repositioning Plan and a Parallel Programme. That framework is of particular importance."

The Repositioning Plan should strengthen the system of screening at birth and early assessment and should be strengthened with appropriate specialist resources. The process of statementing of children should be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team, as far as possible in a school environment. Once the child is assessed, he or she should be encouraged to be self-reliant. The other students should be encouraged to help and support the child.

Specialist teachers, who would provide support to class teachers and to students with individual educational needs, should be education graduates, with a post-graduate qualification in areas specified by the Education Division, while facilitators should be qualified at diploma level, the report recommends.

The diploma course should include core subjects common to all students in the first year of training and specialisation according to disability in the second year, and those who follow the course should be required to specialise in two different areas, thus ensuring mobility when it comes to work placement.

A certificate course to upgrade facilitators who do not hold a diploma is being suggested within the Parallel Programme, while suitable in-service training for heads of schools and teachers should be offered by the Education Division.

Regarding absence of facilitators, a restructured Statementing Moderating Panel should recommend, at the statementing stage, whether a student can remain in class during the rare occasions when the class learning support assistant is temporarily absent. One the other hand, it is recommended that a child who requires a facilitator at all times is taken to a Resource Centre when the facilitator is away from school.

Support services are at times no longer required. The group has recommended that the Parallel Programme should include an early review to determine whether learning support services at times continue to be extended even when they are no longer required or wanted. The report states that there could be instances where a student, thanks to the support and services received over the years, and to personal effort, aspires to independence and manifestly can do without further personal support, yet is not allowed to decline it. More than just a waste of resources, the Working Group feels, this is an unwarranted intrusion in the life of an individual and may also be harmful to the person's development.

The review recommends that the Directorate for Student Services and International Relations should be restructured into a Directorate for Support Services, solely encompassing inclusive and special education, as well as other support services, such as school psychological services and social work service.

It also recommends that there should also be a sector within the division that caters for issues related to literacy, which would include services offered by the Specific Learning Difficulties Unit, the Foundation for Educational Services and the Complementary Education Unit.

Regarding special schools, these should be restructured and developed into resource centres which should provide for the individual needs of students who, because of the degree or nature of their disability would benefit more from special education.

These schools would receive programmed visits by students in mainstream schools who can benefit from utilising the specialised resources in such centres. Their resources would be made available to mainstream schools and teachers, facilitators and other learning support assistants.

Other recommendations include providing assistance during exams and reinforcing the group's aim of achieving multi-disciplinary screening at key stages.

The hope is expressed that the review would generate a national debate on the issue.

"It remains to be seen whether the report of the Working Group will serve as a focal point. The Minister of Education has publicly stated that he agrees with most of the recommendations in the report, and that they will be closely looked into by those concerned with planning and making education provisions," Mr Spiteri concluded.

"A broader discussion of the contents of the report, however, has yet to start. Members of Parliament (the House of Representatives is specifically involved in one of the recommendations) and the media, for instance, have yet to give their reaction."

A girl attends a pottery session at Razzett tal-Hbiberija. The aim of inclusive education is to achive the fullest possible social integration and individual development.