“We talk a lot about the rights of people with disabilities and the Ministry of Education is fully committed to a truly accessible education,” said Minister Justyne Caruana on her first official visit to an educational institution as Minister for Education, which took place on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Minister Justyne Caruana visited the Guardian Angel Resource Center within St George Preca College and met with all the students, educators and LSEs of this resource center, and got a close look at the work. of students and the work of educators and LSEs.
She said that to achieve this goal there must be facilities, infrastructure but also more learning that can reach our homes especially in the context of the challenges of the pandemic, and therefore more fully inclusive education. and in this context especially thanked all those who are on the educational journey and who are promoting the rights of people with disabilities on this particular day.
“I would like to thank the head and administration of this center, the educators and the LSEs for the work they are doing with so much dedication and love,” said Minister Caruana at the beginning of her visit. .
This center is a school that accommodates students with severe learning difficulties. Students, aged between 11 and 16, come from various schools all over Malta and are taught important life skills at the center to help them become more independent. The center also follows the Achieve program by awarding students certificates according to their training.
The school environment is unique compared to mainstream schools and also hosts a Skills Section, consisting of a fully equipped food laboratory, a science laboratory, an information technology laboratory, a design and technology and multisensory rooms.
Minister Caruana reiterated, “My work will revolve around a principle that I strongly believe in, a principle that I have embraced since I was entrusted with the elderly and disabled sector, and I will now see that education Inclusive and equity are a fundamental right of every child. Inclusive education and equity are the choices I will push because I believe that education is there for everyone and no one should be left out of the education system.”
During her visit, Minister Justyne Caruana was accompanied by Head of School Darleen Borg, Assistant Head Mark Agius and Director General National School Support Services Josanne Ghirxi.
At the end of the visit, student Matthew Grech, on behalf of all students, thanked Minister Caruana for her visit and presented her with a shrub in a pottery that both her growth and the work of the pottery was made by the students attending this center.
