Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544097
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 MARCH 2026 NEWS Disability rights group mulling court action over Wardija Resource Centre A disability rights group has filed a judicial protest about the future of the Wardija Resource Centre, as the school will not admit students next scholastic year. The Movement in Favour of Rights for Persons with Disa- bility (MFRPD) filed the judi- cial protest last week after the school was omitted from a list of specialised support recom- mendations for children for the next scholastic year. The omission raised concerns among parents and advocates, given the centre's role as Mal- ta's only state resource facility catering specifically for stu- dents with a disability aged 16 to 22. The alternative service being offered instead of the Wardija Learning Centre is a new Life Map programme at Pembroke. This is more of a therapeutical service than an educational one, meaning the change will leave people with disabilities with restricted choices to continue their education beyond com- pulsory schooling. MFRPD filed the judicial pro- test after sending a legal letter to the Education Ministry on the matter. The organisation told MaltaToday it will consider further court action if Wardija ends up being closed or phased out. The dispute forms part of a wider, long-running concern over the lack of a clear pathway for students with disabilities after compulsory schooling. Over the past year, parents have repeatedly voiced uncertainty about what options are avail- able once their children turn 16. Some parents were unsure whether their children would even be accepted into Wardija. Many children with intellec- tual disabilities begin in main- stream schools supported by learning support educators, but gaps in resources and trained staff often lead to their eventual transfer to specialised centres. Once students reach the end of compulsory education, those who wish to continue with their schooling face restricted choic- es. MCAST offers certain cours- es but students would typically require a level of independence that not all students can meet. The Wardija Resource Centre offered an alternative route for those beyond age 16 to continue their education in a more sup- portive environment. The new Life Map programme was initially presented by the government as an additional option rather than a replace- ment, with a new campus in Pembroke intended to broaden services for students with disa- bilities. However, concerns intensified after the Union of Professional Educators warned of plans to phase out Wardija. Despite assurances that the centre would remain open, its exclusion from application forms for the coming scholastic year deepened the uncertainty. MaltaToday has reached out to the Education Ministry for comment. The Wardija Resource Centre Baseball clubs frustrated over limited facilities despite sport's growth BASEBALL and softball officials have voiced concerns over limited access to adequate sporting facili- ties, warning the lack of a perma- nent home is hindering the sport's development. Sources within the sport said the association has faced persistent challenges over the years, includ- ing the loss of a previously used facility that was later allocated ex- clusively to rugby. While rugby has not directly managed the facility, it is now op- erated by another entity, leaving baseball and softball with only a limited number of contracted hours. These allocated hours are "far from sufficient" to meet the de- mands of a growing community, sources said, adding that any addi- tional training time depends on ad hoc requests and goodwill rather than a stable, structured arrange- ment. The association had also been promised alternative land for de- velopment of facilities by the gov- ernment. However, sources said it took more than a year to secure a meeting on the proposal, and no formal response has been received to date. The situation has been made worse by the loss of access to oth- er grounds. The association was previously allowed to train at the Santa Venera pitch, but was later informed the facility would be re- served exclusively for football. As a result, clubs have been forced to seek alternative arrange- ments, including renting facilities at MCAST for six hours a week. Due to infrastructure limitations, players are restricted to using ten- nis balls and sponge balls during training sessions to avoid damag- ing the grounds. Sources contrasted this with the annual rental for the Marsa sports complex, which, with government subsidy, amounts to approximate- ly €4,000. They said it is largely thanks to the goodwill of the complex's ad- ministrator that the association has been able to make greater use of the Marsa facility. However, the hours formally allocated in agree- ments do not reflect actual opera- tional needs. The issue of facility access has al- so persisted at policy level. In 2017, an international base- ball body World Baseball Series had approached the association regarding the potential use of pitch facilities following a com- petition. Discussions at the time with then minister Konrad Mizzi, in the context of a proposed sports village at Kordin, had included baseball in the original plans. However, these proposals did not materialise. More recently, in 2024, the as- sociation was informed pitches it had been using would be handed over to the Malta Football Rugby Union. Attempts to engage Edu- cation Minister Clifton Grima on possible solutions have so far gone unanswered, sources said. Currently, the association has access to facilities for between eight and nine hours per week, which it says is insufficient for both training and hosting compe- titions. Organising tournaments often depends on the goodwill of facility operators. Sources said a minister had in- dicated efforts would be made to identify an alternative location, possibly within the Kordin sports complex, but no concrete devel- opments have been communicat- ed. Despite these constraints, par- ticipation in the sport is growing, making the call for a permanent base even more pertinent. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt