[WATCH] Study finds one in four Maltese pupils are resistant to multiculturalism

Interaction between Maltese children and foreign children in schools remains limited, with roughly a quarter of Maltese students hesitant and resistant to multiculturalism, a study has found. 

The study, which was conducted by the centre for resilience and socio-emotional health within the University of Malta and commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner for Children focused on children under the age of 18 who were born in or outside of Malta to non-Maltese parents.

It included all foreign children in Malta who could be identified through schools, homes, centres and agencies, with a total of 2,332 children participating in the study. The full results from the study will be published in April.

In addition to foreign children, the study also looked at the attitudes of Maltese students and found that while half of Maltese students had non-Maltese friends, social interactions with foreign children were limited overall, with most Maltese students still spending most of their time with their native peers.

“The attitudes of Maltese students to foreign students vary according to nationality. The majority prefer peers from the West, followed by those from Latin America. Children from Africa and the Middle East were the least liked,” Carmel Cefai, who gave an overview of the study’s findings and recommendations, said.

He said there were mixed views about children from Eastern Europe, the ex-Soviet Union and East Asia. Students from Independent schools, as well as primary schools, had the most positive views of foreign children, while those from Gozo had the least positive views.

“While 25% of Maltese children are still hesitant and resistant towards multiculturalism, what we found is that the majority of Maltese students have positive, open and tolerant views towards foreign children and multicultural integration,” he said.

Addressing the press conference, Family Minister Michael Falzon said he welcomed the study and its recommendations. “All of this falls under the National Children’s Policy, that was launched back in 2017. We’ve seen it in places such as Gzira and Sliema, and other towns where foreign communities have exploded over recent years. It is something that we have to embrace as a country.”

Falzon said that from the research conducted by the ministry, large portions of children who come to Malta do not find it a problem accessing services, adding however that efforts were being made to ensure that no children faced such challenges.

Number of foreign children steadily increasing

The study also found that the number of foreign children in Malta has doubled over the last five years, now making up 10% of the school-age population.

“The findings show that the majority of foreign children enjoy positive physical and mental health, high levels of resilience and wellbeing, stable family lives, good economic wellbeing, positive school experiences, good relations with teachers and peers, and social inclusion at school and in their communities,” Cefai explained

He said that in some areas foreign children were actually better off than native Maltese children, as they tend to be bullied less and participate more in physical activities. He also noted that foreign children can actually have a positive influence in the lives of Maltese children, and not only in terms of a rich cultural diversity but also in encouraging Maltese children to adopt a healthier lifestyle, as well as to care for the environment.

READ MORE: One in five babies in Malta now born to non-Maltese women

“However, on the other hand, many foreign children are living in overcrowded apartments and centres, and are struggling with language barriers, which encourage problems in accessing services. This is usually aggravated, by the fact that many foreign children have few Maltese friends, and are limited in open spaces in their communities.”

Cefai noted that in particular Children from Africa and the Middle East and to a lesser extent East Asia appear to be a marginalised group, with relatively high levels of mental health difficulties, economic difficulties, with some having limited access to basic necessities, poor housing condition, language barriers, lack of active engagement in schools, and poor access and little use of services. While also facing prejudice and discrimination. 

“Different groups of foreign children in Malta have different needs, which need to be addressed accordingly. European children face the Maltese language as a barrier, while children from Africa and the middle east have problems with learning English,” he said.

The study showed that most foreign child would like more social spaces and friendlier neighbours. Children in open centres also said that they wished to connect more with local communities.