The proposals made by the Equal Partners Foundations with regard to education for students aged over 16 who have an intellectual impairment are sensible and address a clear vacuum in this sector that urgently needs to be filled, said Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo.

Dr Vassallo was reacting to the pre-budget proposals made by the Equal Partners Foundation that were announced recently.

He praised the proposals formulated as an action plan put forward by the Foundation to address this area.

“Such an initiative by an

NGO is a very positive development and one that shows a mature perspective to

addressing the issue,” said Dr Vassallo.

He appealed to the government to seriously consider taking this action plan on board.

He also called on the Government to immediately clarify the proposal made

by the Government itself in its pre-budget document that says that as from September 2007, the Government intends to offer a vocational educational programme for a number of students who have an intellectual disability.

“This is a positive proposal which, however, needs to be clarified and implemented immediately, since September is only a few weeks away and parents are unaware of any new developments with regard to this proposal,” Dr Vassallo continued.

He also referred to the Foundation’s call for the Government to implement the recommendation contained in the Spiteri Report with regard to the allocation of state funding to NGOs that would give the right to parents to choose the educational support they deem to be most beneficial for their child.

Dr Vassallo said that Alternattiva Demokratika also fully supports the proposal made by the Equal Partners Foundation that expenses incurred for support services (educational and other therapies), as indicated in the person’s individual educational/vocational programme, should be deducted from the taxable income of the family or the person.