News • 22 December 2002

Church schools, no immigrants please, we’re Maltese

By Matthew Vella

San Gwann - The plight of the clandestines who have been stranded on the Maltese shores seems to have no end. As more and more immigrants hold their breath awaiting an unsure fate, a new conundrum has arisen as parents and authorities in particular schools have refused to allow the integration of immigrant children, blocking their access to education.

According to MaltaToday sources, it is apparent that immigrant children have been denied access to education in Church schools. It seems that there has been severe opposition in allowing these children from taking their seat at certain schools.

Education Minister Louis Galea has not yet disclosed the number of children taken in by any Church school.

However, Dr Galea has confirmed that a total of 55 children have been posted in public schools. The majority, 17, have been placed in Pieta’, 15 in Birzebbuga ‘A’ and ‘B’ and 13 in Zurrieq ‘A’ and ‘B’. Seven others are in Floriana and five at Hamrun.

According to MaltaToday’s sources, school authorities and parents have forbidden any form of integration for a certain number of Eritrean children into their schools for fear of contagion of HIV and Hepatitis B. The fears were sparked off after reports were circulated of detained immigrants which could be HIV positive or infected with Hepatitis B.

Notices from the Health Division showing that transmission of HIV can only occur through the exchange of bodily fluids via blood transfusions, unprotected sexual intercourse, gestation or breastfeeding, has done little to allay the fears of those school authorities and parents who have refused the integration of these children in certain schools.

Critics have hit out at the denigration the immigrants have encountered throughout their sojourn. MaltaToday sources said that security has been stepped up to such a degree that the immigrants and their children are being monitored more closely.

Malta Labour Party spokesperson for Education Evarist Bartolo called for a ‘basic humanist’ principle to prevail for the children of immigrants, saying that they should be allowed to have access to education.

"As a father, I understand that precautions have to be taken. These should include health and safety precautions, but we also have to inform heads of schools, teachers, parents and students of the changes. Such a drastic multi-ethnic change cannot happen overnight and this could disrupt the other students’ education.

"On the whole I believe that we should embrace these children and have to make an effort to welcome them into our schools. The Church schools should also make an effort to accommodate these students, especially since the Church is always talking about respecting these people as human beings."

Education Minister Louis Galea told MaltaToday that arrangements were being made for the Eritrean children to attend school. Dr Galea also said that there had been no inoculation on children at schools where clandestine children had been posted.