The Equal Partners Foundation yesterday welcomed proposals for inclusive education in the government’s pre-budget document but complained about the lack of consultation with the stakeholders involved.

Foundation president Colin Galea said that the foundation has held several meetings with various entities such as Office of the Prime Minister, Alternattiva Demokratika, MEPs, the University of Malta and the Church to discuss their plans.

However, he pointed out, the foundation has requested a meeting with the Education Minister since March but nothing has happened so far.

Mr Galea said the foundation welcomed the government’s pre-budget document – especially the section on Quality Inclusive Education For All.

Furthermore, he added, another positive aspect mentioned in the pre-budget document was that the programme would run in a mainstream post-secondary institution and not within a segregated setting.

However, he pointed out that none of the stakeholders, including parents, students or schools participated in drawing up the programme.

Mr Galea expressed his concern that there were no applications or prospectuses available for the programme when there was less than a month left to September.

He also called for further development on the section titled Quality Guidance in Learning and Training Pathways.

The pre-budget document also failed to mention the implementation of recommendations about the allocation of state funding to NGOs made in the Spiteri report, said Mr Galea.

The report called for a more “equitable system of individualised funding whereby funds go directly to the individuals who need to acquire the services,” he added.

Mr Galea said that “there is a clear lack of national perspective in this area” and that the foundation has developed a two-phase plan of action that will help provide students with intellectual impairment “with meaningful inclusive post-secondary experiences and to support them towards autonomy.”

Anabel Mifsud from the foundation explained that not all students developed at the same rate and that studies have shown that many were not ready to face the world when they finished secondary school – let alone students who have an intellectual disability.

“Students with an intellectual disability need social inclusion and lifelong education. This starts off with a thorough assessment of their individual skills,” she said.

Mrs Mifsud said that if the proposals put forward in the pre-budget document were accepted then the foundation’s plans could easily be incorporated without any major difficulty.

Dr Elena Tanti Burlo explained that the two-phase plan would start off with an assessment of the student’s needs and skills in Form Four in secondary school.

“This will help the student become more independent – both socially and emotionally, while exposing him/her to a variety of work environments,” she said.

Phase Two would then be based in a vocational institute of the student’s and parents’ choice, she added.