A memorandum of understanding has been signed by the Sannat Special Unit and a Belgian Academy for teachers from different European countries to receive special training in Gozo.

Funding for this is to be provided by the European Union through its Erasmus+ programme.

The Mission Statement of the Sannat Primary School and Special Unit says that the school must strive to provide quality education for the pupils according to their ability, to cater for their diversity, to foster a caring attitude, self-discipline, high expectations and achievement of standards, not only among pupils but also among staff, parents and the community.

Two teachers from Sannat Special Unit shared information and some views about the current state of the Unit and how it continued to evolve in recent years thanks to the Erasmus+ project ‘Dealing with Autism in Gozo’.

Students are referred to the Special Unit following a meeting held among parents, the inclusion coordinator and professionals who work with the student, the teachers told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

At first, some parents may be hesitant to send their children to the Special Unit but ultimately the majority of parents realise that such service is beneficial for their children, they added.

Students who attend the Special Unit range in ages from 3 to 22 years.

There are two types of programmes at Sannat Special Unit. They explained that one programme caters for students who attend on a full-time basis. These students’ specific needs are better met through specialised resources at the Special Unit.

Then there are those students who come from other schools (Church or State) on a part-time basis. These students attend once a week for the one-day programme accompanied by their Learning Support Educator. This system is seen as being very beneficial, as apart from the specialised resources at the Unit, the LSEs are presented with the opportunity of learning new methods which are then adopted in the mainstream class.

Most of the students are on the autism spectrum. Structure is very important for these students, hence a good timetabling system is vital for the programme to be successful, the teachers said. Also, Social Stories are created for these students to help them learn what to expect in social situations and lessen their fear of the unknown.

Thanks to the Erasmus+ project ‘Dealing with Autism in Gozo’, a number of Special Unit educators have been presented with the opportunity to go abroad and attend intensive training, and experience different teaching methods which can be used to help these students. The aim of this project was for the Special Unit to become a centre of reference and guidance for professionals, families and individuals, the teachers said.

As a result of this project, demand for Special Unit services increased and three new classes were opened. In these classes students are offered cognitive sessions which are the foundations of learning such as numeracy, literacy and writing skills, depending on the needs of the student. They are also being offered sessions of ICT, sensory, life skills, office skills, music, P.E., hydrotherapy, PSCD, science, crafts, and LEGO therapy. A number of these sessions were introduced after the Erasmus+ training and observation in the UK.

Success breeds success and the reputation of the school has travelled to mainland Europe, the teachers said. The school has just agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding with a Belgian Academy, whereby teachers from different countries will receive training at Sannat.

Funding will be provided by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. The school will not only benefit financially but also from the expertise of European teachers who will visit the school.