Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that “we don’t want a controversy on gay-themed books to deviate us from going ahead with promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion in schools".

Speaking in parliament during the budget speech on education, Mr Bartolo said that bullying in schools can also be homophobic-related.

 “Those who engaged in such a hysterical attack in relation to the issue of these books don’t even have the slightest idea what these books contain,” he said.

He went on to say that this government has increased its investment in education by some €212 million in a matter of two and the half years when compared to the investment made by the previous administration during the last few years of its tenure.

“Never has there been a government which invested so much in education,” he said.

Some 4,600 teachers are to get a new laptop computer while learning support assistants and kindergarten assistants will also be given a laptop, he said.

It is vital this apparatus is used in the most effective manner to meet the needs of our children, he said. 

He said that some 6,000 parents will be benefitting from the free child-care scheme, highlighting the fact that “Malta is the only EU country to provide free childcare services”.

Mr Bartolo said that the courses for LSAs are being revised to meet the demands of children who require an LSA.