Joseph Burló and the education of children with disabilities in Malta

Abstract

This article discusses the work of Joseph Burló in building Malta’s special educational system from the 1950s onwards. It is based on information obtained from interviews with his daughter, Dr Marian Muscat Azzopardi, and one of the teachers who worked with him, Ms Mary Rose Zahra, as well as from the documents in the Burló Collection donated by Dr Muscat Azzopardi and other sources. The article provides brief information about Burló’s career and the sociocultural context in which he worked, showing how his work contributed to removing the stigma associated with disability and improving the quality of life of children with disabilities. The article then discusses how Burló built connections with various persons to help him in his work and the outlook which informed his work, especially his emphasis on a holistic approach to child development and to catering for the various needs of children with disabilities. In the conclusion, the article reflects on the situation of the education of children with disabilities today and whether, and to what extent, the forward-looking spirit of Burló has been retained.