Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1002137
OPINION 26 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JULY 2018 ONE of the priorities in edu- cation is helping those who are falling behind, on how we can reach more children and offer them valuable pathways. However, there is also another side of the edu- cation world, one which per- haps does not get as much as attention as it should. We have a lot of success on the higher end, with a lot of talent in our schools get- ting exceptional results. In mathematics, our students have won six bronze med- als and two silver medals in Independent Challenge in the final round of the Math- ematics Without Borders International Tournament; a gold and a bronze medal in the Team Challenge and, moreover, one of our stu- dents was also awarded with a Bronze Cup and a wreath for his outstanding achieve- ment throughout the tour- nament. The same student was further awarded with the title of Maths Star of the tournament for his country. There is a lot of hard work behind these results and in no small part this is due to the great work done by our educators in the sector. Putting autism on the forefront This week the conference 'Autism Spectrum Disor- der (ASD) and Second and Foreign Languages Classes' highlighted the important work being done to make education truly inclusive in class, and not just as a buz- zword which is sometimes thrown about it. Inclusion does not simply mean putting all students within the same class but measures have to be taken to reach all children and help them develop their full potential. The conference, organised by Dr Mario Pace, included a presentation by Language Speech Pathologist Ms Veronica Montanaro, who explained that most children who learn more than one language gain valuable skills. Researchers say this may also be true for children with autism. She explained how students with autism have varying levels of skills and that every student may have unique needs with learning, social skills, and communication. The Conference presented the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the varying learning styles of children with autism and in- cluded a practical session on strategies that can be used to support students with Autism who are acquiring a foreign language. It is important to highlight these challenges for the educational experience to change itself in a way that really fits the needs of each and every child. Over the past decades we've seen a lot of policies in education which focus on bringing everyone together under the same roof and getting the same experience. This was labelled as inclu- sion. But if we really want to include each and every child, we must first and foremost offer them an engaging and relevant experience. Putting everyone in the same class with the same delivery does not work. We can roman- ticise things, but in real- ity we're not getting much work done unless we offer students the most relevant education delivery that is possible. Goodbye Ray Raymond Cutajar lost a six-year battle with cancer on the 3rd of July. He was a remarkable person who in- spired a lot of people around him. I had the honour to get to know him. His soul shone through and he always remained positive and with a smile, even in the most dif- ficult circumstances. Good- bye Ray. Celebrating our high-flyers A decade of success at MEUSAC Vanni Xuereb is head of the Malta EU Steering Action Committee Vanni Xuereb Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is minister for education and employment AFTER having served as a forum by which the social partners and civil society could play an active role in the formulation of the position Malta would assume on vari- ous aspects of the acquis (the common rights and obligations binding all Member States) in the EU accession negotiations, MEUSAC was reactivated on July 7, 2008 and entrusted with three main functions: Consul- tation, Information and EU Funding assistance. As a Member State, Malta now has its own say in shaping the EU's policy and laws. The Prime Minister regularly at- tends European Council meet- ings (sometimes also referred to as EU Summits) with the leaders of the other Member States. Furthermore, Govern- ment ministers participate in EU Council meetings that convene in different configura- tions depending on the subject being discussed. During the first six months of last year, Malta also successfully pre- sided the Council. The work of this important institution is also carried out at different levels where several Maltese experts meet with their counterparts from other Member States, paving the way for the Council to take the necessary decisions. MEUSAC plays a vital role in the deci- sion-making process: that of involving the social partners and civil society as much as possible in the shaping of Malta's position in the Council. Furthermore, for the past five years, prior to his participa- tion in the June and December European Council meetings, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has been attending MEUSAC meetings to discuss the Coun- cil agenda and other topical EU issues with the social partners and civil society. MEUSAC also served as a vehicle for the Government to keep stakeholders updated on the preparations for the Maltese Presidency of the Council. The same mechanism has been adopted for the ongoing Brexit negotiations. As already mentioned, MEUSAC also has two other main functions. The first is that relating to EU informa- tion. A complementary aspect of the consultation process is the dissemination of factual information about the EU, the rights and obligations of Malta as a Member State, as well as those of Maltese citizens as EU citizens. MEUSAC performs this role in several ways including the participation of its officers in television and radio pro- grammes, publishing articles on newspapers and online platforms, through its website (recently revamped), Facebook page and Twitter account, and by organising public activities and events aimed at inform- ing and involving citizens in a debate concerning issues relat- ing to the Union. Currently, MEUSAC is preparing to organise a series of activities, entitled 'Citizens' Consulta- tions', aimed at giving all Mal- tese citizens the opportunity to have their say about the future of the EU. MEUSAC's reactivation oc- curred when Malta had been a member of the EU for only four years. It was, therefore, important for our country and the various sectors of Mal- tese society to maximise the opportunities brought about by EU membership. One very effective means of doing so is by tapping into the numerous EU Funding programmes. Ten years ago, the need was felt for local councils and non-governmental organisa- tions (NGOs) to be supported with technical and professional assistance to apply for projects financed or co-financed by EU funds. The assistance that MEUSAC provides on a daily basis consists of furnishing information about EU fund- ing opportunities and, more importantly, by assisting local councils and NGOs in the complicated and daunting task of filling in and submitting the applications. To date, thanks to this service which is provided at no charge whatsoever, local councils have managed to benefit from more than 20 million euro from EU funds for 139 different projects whereas NGOs benefited from around 12 million euro for 210 projects. In recent years this service has been extended to Government entities with 34 projects worth more than 12 million in total being approved. This success would not have been possible without the pro- fessional work of MEUSAC's staff over the last decade as well as the trust that our various partners have shown in the services we provide. This Government strongly believes in the importance of MEUSAC so much so it established MEUSAC as a government agency in 2017 and has signifi- cantly increased its investment to strengthen MEUSAC's role in connecting citizens to the EU.