Update with ITS reply below: The Nationalist Party has highlighted the recent case involving students with special needs attending the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) in Qala, Gozo, which, the PN said, “clearly shows that our country’s education system is still far from being truly inclusive.”
In a joint statement by Graziella Galea Shadow Minister for Inclusion and Consumer Rights, Albert Buttigieg Shadow Minister for Neurodiversity and Child Protection, Chris Said Shadow Minister for Gozo and Mario de Marco Shadow Minister for Tourism, they argued that Gozitan students with disabilities are being “abandoned by a system that is supposed to be inclusive.”
The PN spokesperson insisted that “despite months of discussions between the Voice for Inclusion Gozo Association and the ITS administration, three students with disabilities who have completed compulsory education remain without assistance a month and a half into the scholastic year and are still being deprived of post-secondary education at the Institute.”
According to the PN, at the start of the academic year,” it appeared that ITS was prepared to cater for these students, yet to date it has failed to provide the necessary LSEs.” This has resulted in a situation where “two students are unable to attend any lessons due to the lack of educational support, while another student is unable to classes held in the kitchen.”
The PN argued that, “this failure represents not only an institutional shortcoming but also a violation of the fundamental right to education that every student is entitled to, regardless of disability. Students with disabilities have the right to continue their education in a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment just like all other students.”
The Nationalist Party called on the educational authorities and the ITS to “ensure that no student with a disability is left out of the education system, even after the end of compulsory schooling.”
“Inclusive education is neither a favour nor a privilege; it is a fundamental right. Any delay or lack of action only deepens the marginalisation of children and young people who are already facing serious challenges,” insisted the PN.
The Nationalist Party concluded by demanding “concrete action now, not yet another unfulfilled promise or action that comes too late for our children and youth.”
ITS Statement
The Institute of Tourism Studies, referring to the Nationalist Party’s statement said the case “does not reflect any negligence or lack of commitment to inclusive education.”
It added that, “on the contrary, over recent months, especially throughout the past academic year, ITS has made every effort to secure the most suitable specialised professionals to provide the required support for the three students with disabilities.”
ITS stated that “two official calls for Learning Associates (LAs) were made to identify those qualified individuals who have the necessary competencies to operate in a vocational learning environment that focuses on food preparation and service.”
However, it noted that “the response to this call was not positive and there were no successful candidates for the immediate provision of this support – there is currently a third call open.”
ITS went on to say that it “has carried out all the necessary educational and professional reports including educational psychological assessments, Occupational Therapy reports, and those related to health and safety in the workplace, in order to ensure that the health and safety of these students remain an absolute priority.”
It should also be noted, the Institue said, that the curriculum offered at the ITS Gozo campus is “based on practical learning in the field of food preparation and service, which involves the use of professional equipment in an environment that can be risky if they do not comply with health and safety protocols or if there is no appropriate level of support.”
In this context, the ITS insisted that has been “working on an alternative learning programme for these students in order to provide them with the best possible post-secondary learning experience, in a safe, structured and adapted environment to their needs.”
ITS added that that it “remains firmly committed to putting educational inclusion into practice and to ensuring that every student, regardless of ability, has the chance to reach their full potential in an environment of respect, safety, and professionalism.”
The ITS concluded by saying that “currently, around 10% of students at ITS in both Malta and Gozo are supported by Learning Associates due to cognitive or physical conditions, while still following the same curriculum offered by the Institute. In certain cases, however, where a disability makes it impossible to adapt the standard minimum curriculum, a specialised programme must be developed to uphold the Institute’s high standards of quality and certification assurance.”
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