Education for children with an intellectual impairment : parents' perspectives

Abstract

After being keenly debated, education in Malta has recognised the importance of Inclusive education and implemented school reforms to improve and raise the quality of our education for all children to succeed. Although our legislation is embedded with inclusive and clear policy statements it is not weaving its way to the daily practices at school. Many children, especially those with intellectual impairment, are suffering the consequences leading their parents to be less favourable of inclusive education. The current study aimed to explore parental views about their experiences in primary inclusive settings and what led them to keep their children in inclusive settings or switch to a resource centre. The author conducted interviews with nine parents of children with intellectual impairment. These parents were divided into two groups: five parents who chose to keep their children in inclusive settings; and four whose children now attend the resource centre after experiencing primary inclusive settings. The results obtained show that while the majority of parents would like to see their children in an ordinary school, many feel that the educational personnel seem reluctant to engage themselves fully with the children. The reasons behind this are the staff's lack of: knowledge about the disability, education regarding challenging behaviours and the rigid academic-oriented syllabus which must be covered by the end of each year. Parents acknowledge the need for adequate preparation, training and planning. Their suggestions are presented to promote inclusive education by outlining how schools can continue to improve and facilitate an effective education for their children.