Minister Evarist Bartolo said today that he will not give up on helping people with dyslexia, and will keep working to improve their situation.

Addressing a conference on the subject, Minister Bartolo said that only small steps to help people with dyslexia have been taken over the past 30 years, saying that much more needs to be done.

“The way our programmes are designed, the way most teaching takes place, the assessment, they are all heavily designed against people with dyslexia. If one is very good using visual arts, and are only tested through written examination, then a person’s talent is not acknowledged. We need to bring about major educational changes at every stage in terms of syllabi, programmes, teaching and assessment”.

Currently, he said, there is a one size fits all policy. “There are things that must be done through national policy, and not just at school level. We are all different, learn differently and need to be taught differently”.

“We need to bring about changes to the training of teachers so that they could teach differently”. 

Turning to bullying, he said there are guidelines about it and in this area we have a respect for all policy. “It is an issue we are dealing with.”

Malta Dyslexia Association Chairwoman Doreen Mizzi said the conference is important, as it brings people with dyslexia from all over Europe together. “We can share experiences, good practices which can be used in education, social, employment and financial sectors of our lives”.

She mentioned the University of Malta, and said she wants things to change. “The assessment board must not be as rigid as it is and it is not fair on our children. It is their right to study at university. I also want the system to change, it cannot be a one for all system. We must see to help work on problems individually”.

MEUSAC Head Vanni Xuereb said that the EU is about bringing people together, “and I am glad Meusac is able to facilitate this. “We are here to try and help people feel closer to the European Union and closer to each other, by building a Europe of people, by creating trust, building relationships, and learning about diversity”.

“We look forward to strengthening this collaboration with the Malta Dyslexia Association”.

Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli said that seeing all these youths here from around the EU, makes her feel pleased to have entered politics, “where she can encourage the values of inclusivity, diversity, living with one another and helping others try to reach their full potential regardless of their situation”.

“Everyone has potential, but we must be able to discover it and tap into it. We are in politics to improve everyone’s lives. If we have managed to change and affect some lives positively, then that is a good thing”.

In order to understand a person’s situation, one needs to walk in their shoes, she said.

The conference brought together 60 young people with dyslexia from all over the EU. The conference is part of a project called ‘Sharing Experiences of Dyslexia across Europe’, made possible after MEUSAC assisted the Malta Dyslexia Association to secure Erasmus+ funds.

The conference lasts a total of one week, ending 30 July. Some objectives include helping participants share experiences, building a strong sense of self-esteem and promoting active citizenship.