Special needs education within the education system - Malta

Early Intervention

Early intervention aims at helping the child to develop his/her full potential in spite of the child’s needs. It also provides support to parents/legal guardians, tutors , teachers and learning support assistants (LSAs) in the holistic educational development of the child paving the way for his/her future scholastic experience.

The Early Intervention Service is one of the services provided by the Student Services Department. It caters for children from birth to 5years and who are experiencing developmental, medical, psychological, physical, learning and/or other difficulties. Referral is made by the family doctor to the Child Development and Assessment Unit (CDAU). Each child is then followed through home and school visits (when s/he enters kindergarten) by the same teacher.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten caters for all three-year and four-year old pupils. They form part of the primary schools.

Provision within Mainstream Education

It is the government's policy to include pupils with special needs within the mainstream education system. This includes kindergarten and compulsory education up to secondary level.  However, parents are left to decide which provision is best for their child, particularly when pupils with severe special needs require specialised services and facilities that are difficult to obtain in mainstream schools.

Pupils with special needs attending mainstream schools may be given the services of a Learning Support Assistant as a support in class. This support has to be recommended by The Statementing Moderating Panel (SMP) The SMP is the State recognised body empowered to develop a statutory assessment of the support required in order to ensure a quality education for pupils with an impairment.

Pupils with sensory impairments besides being supported by LSAs are also supported by a peripatetic teacher, who visits the schools once or twice a week depending on the needs of the pupils. There are also pupils who communicate through sign language and are provided with the services of the sign language interpreters. These pupils are also supported by interpreters at post-secondary education.

Inclusion Co-ordinators (INCOs) support primary schools in the implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy. These INCOs support SMTs, parents, teachers and LSAs and help to co-ordinate service provision for pupils with special needs attending mainstream schools.

Special needs support in Special Schools

Although pupils with special needs are generally included within the mainstream education system rather than special schools, a number of special schools still function to cater for the more demanding needs and to satisfy the wishes and expectations of parents who consider that their children can receive a better educational service in a special school where there may be better educational provision than that obtainable in mainstream school.

The existing special schools are networked so that they can complement each other's services and facilities and to work closer with mainstream schools. The schools aim to provide an education tailored to meet the needs of the individual student. The skills covered are cognitive, gross motor, social, language – both receptive and expressive, self-help, cooking, sewing and others. Good health, personal hygiene and training for adult life are promoted and given utmost importance.

Two of the schools offer support to pupils who are experiencing social and emotional behavioural difficulties.

Over the years, substantial investment has been made in these schools in order to provide all the required facilities and services and to turn them into resource centres that will also support mainstream schools. As a result, facilities and services provided at these schools can be made use of by pupils with special needs in other special schools or in mainstream schools.

Curriculum

Pupils in the special schools follow the mainstream curriculum with the adaptation and modifications necessary to ensure full access to the curriculum. It is highly stressed in these schools that ALL pupils should have access to a common set of subject syllabi with the same quality of subject content. This enhances equal learning opportunities and experiences for ALL pupils to become educated persons. Each pupil follows his/her Individual Educational Programme (IEP) which is agreed upon and revised annually during an IEP conference meeting with the involvement of all the professionals working with the pupil: school administration, teachers, LSAs, parents and sometimes the pupils themselves.

The Inclusive Curriculum Project aims at raising the standard of educational achievement for all pupils with special needs, ensuring that all pupils have access to the Maltese syllabus. This project will provide a vast repertoire of teaching activities and ideas intended for all ages and abilities. It also aims at enhancing teachers to develop their professional skills thus improving their classroom practice for all pupils. 

Private Education

There are no private special schools catering specifically for pupils with special needs. However, pupils with special needs are accepted in Church and Independent schools and the support they require, including the allocation of an LSA is generally paid for by the Government

Student Services Department

The Student Services Department, has the responsibility of all the services provided to pupils with special needs in both mainstream and special schools.
The Department offers services for the visually impaired, hearing impaired, home tuition, hospital classes, early intervention and services for pupils with communication difficulties which include the access to the Communication and Technology Unit (ACTU) and the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Support Team (ASST). 

Other services that fall under the responsibility of this department are all psycho-social services which include: Guidance and Counselling, School Social Workers, School Psychological Service, Education Medical Service,  Safe Schools Programme

The  premises are also used for teacher training.  Training programmes are available on regular basis during and after school hours.

The Inclusive Education and Special Education/Resource Centres Sections work in collaboration with non-government organisations, Child Development Assessment Unit, National Commission for Persons with a Disability, various professionals within the health care services, mainstream and special schools and other educational establishments.

The Statementing Moderating Panel and the Appeals Board are also housed at the Centre.

Educational / Vocational Guidance, Education / Employment Links

Guidance is provided to students and their parents, as it is done in mainstream schools, taking into consideration the student’s particular disability. The SSD provides the services of two transition teachers. One teacher works with students finishing their secondary schooling while another works with students in special schools and helps to co-ordinate transition to Adult Centres or any employment links available. The role of parents of students with special needs in special schools generally plays a greater part than it does in the case of students with mild special needs in mainstream.
A transition programme from one level of education to another and from school to life or working life is formulated for individual students.

The University and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology have special provisions for persons with a disability who can fruitfully follow one of their courses.

The University of Malta is committed to provide full accessibility to its students, including students with a disability who wish to continue to further their studies. To achieve this, the University has set-up the ACCESS-Disability Support Committee (ADSC). In order to provide the best environment for the students the ACCESS-Disability Support Unit (ADSU) is on campus and provides the services of a co-ordinator to assist the students with their needs. The ADSU has an equipped office that provides full services to persons with visual, hearing and physical impairments.

Certification

Assistance to pupils with special needs is given when they sit for national examinations according to their specific needs so that they can show what they have learnt and what they know. Specific guidelines have been formulated for the purpose. If they succeed, they are awarded the same Certificate issued to other pupils.
Special schools provide only a school-leaving certificate. The formative assessment as indicated in their Individual Educational Programme could be indicative of their achievements during their time at school.