The commission for the rights of persons with disabilities has claimed that children with disabilities are being denied support as schools struggle to deal with social distancing rules in Malta.
“Teachers who provide help for children with vision or hearing disabilities have instead been redeployed to cover extra classes due to pandemic bubbles.” said Oliver Scicluna, Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Early intervention services that help very young children with developmental disabilities have also been affected, he said.
Scicluna said that while he appreciated the need for extraordinary measures during the pandemic, they should not be detrimental to students who require specific support.
“Such services cannot be viewed as secondary services but as essential mechanisms for particular students,” he said.
“In this regard, the commission urges the responsible authorities to re-evaluate the situation to provide the necessary support to all of its students, as is their right.”
Teachers providing services should not be used to mitigate teacher shortage within mainstream schools, he said.
“The Commision is committed to rendering Maltese society an inclusive one, in a way that persons with disabilities reach their full potential in all aspects of life, enjoying a high quality of life thanks to equal opportunities.” said Scicluna.
