Support to the Migrant Learners’ Unit to improve the inclusion of migrant learners within mainstream education in Malta

The project “Support to the Migrant Learners’ Unit to improve the inclusion of migrant learners within mainstream education in Malta”, funded by the European Union via the Structural Reform Support Programme, aims to provide technical support to the Migrant Learners’ Unit (MLU) of the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR) to improve the inclusion of migrant learners within mainstream education in Malta.

Over a period of 24 months, it is expected that the project is going to enhance migrant learners’ participation in education so that they become active members of the Maltese society. The project, thus, is meant to improve the quality of education provision by supporting migrant learners’ inclusion and facilitating more effective and collaborative synergies between educational and other stakeholders (e.g. parents, civil society, Local Councils, local communities at large, non-governmental and international organizations).

Overall, the project aims to contribute to fostering school cultures and environments that acknowledge, celebrate and develop the potential of all learners, while strengthening collaborative systems to support migrant learners’ inclusion to enhance a ‘sense of belonging’ and social cohesion.

To do so, the project will achieve two main outcomes:

 Outcome 1: MLU is informed about the quality of service provision for migrant learners and endorses recommendations for improvement.

• an assessment of the needs of migrant learners and other relevant stakeholders concerning induction courses;
• a comprehensive functional review of the MLU’s current structures and measures to facilitate migrant learners’ inclusion;

Outcome 2: MLU is enabled to implement innovative measures contributing to more effective education services for migrant learners.

• structured opportunities for dialogue and sharing of practices implemented in similar contexts through webinars and study visits; based on the previous elements, a set of recommendations geared towards the improvement of service provision;
• training for educators and teachers on diversity management; and three proposals for pilot actions to foster inclusive education in favour of new migrant learners.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is responsible for the administration of the project and the delivery of project outputs.

The project management team will also ensure that all activities are undertaken according to the EU regulations on visibility matters, providing reports on visibility data and statistics as required.