L-Edukazzjoni għall-Minuri u l-Adulti, iċ-Ċavetta kontra l-Faqar Carmel Borg L-Universit a` ta’ Malta

Facts Mental health and educational achievement are intimately linked together. Children experiencing mental health problems are at risk of underachieving. Underachievement is cumulative in nature. Poverty and educational achievement are positively correlated.

Facts Strong correlation between poverty risk and level of education of household head (24% risk in families headed by a low-educated head as opposed to 13% where head has completed secondary education)

The cumulative nature of poverty and educational underachievement Less likely to receive quality early childhood education Participate less at kindergarten Less likely to succeed in primary and secondary education More likely to be referred to special education and more likely to be absent from school Systematically placed in lower streams and more likely to drop out of school End compulsory education without qualitfications

Childhood poverty and educational disadvantage tend to reproduce the cycle of disadvantage Strong correlation between underachievemnet in the compulsory phase and adulthood.

The cumulative process means that different interventions are necessary at different points in the educational career if inequality is to be reduced (NESSE, 2010). Leaving school early, without qualifications, constitutes the beginning of what often turns out to be an equally difficult and precarious life (NESSE, 2010).

Education is not the panacea for inequality. Education may reproduce inequality - the more unequal educational achievement, the less cohesive the society (Green et al.,2006)

Adults with a high level of education are twice to five times likely to access organised education (OECD, 2005) and are more likely to access social services. Redistribution of opportunities are less effective in adulthood.

By the age of three, children from poor homes, whose parents have achieved poorly in education, are already up to a year behind their middle class peers in terms of school readiness and level of vocabulary (Feinstein et al. (2008)

Strategic Plan – Some Questions Why do students with mental health problems underachieve and drop out? What policies and measures help reduce underachievement and early school leaving? What are the supportive conditions needed to maximise the impact of education and training measures?

Which measures could help to make learning pathways more flexible? How can we promote partnerships that support lifelong learning? How can we support low-skilled adults better?

What are the supportive conditions that maximise the impact of education and training? What would constitute better ways to motivate and guide low-skilled and disadvantaged learners? What strategies should be developed to improve self-esteem and to avoid symbolic exclusion?

How can education for active citizenship promote social inclusion? How can social disadvantage groups be reached? (source: adapted from Belgian EU Presidency conference on social inclusion in and through education, 2010)

Education and Social Justice Fairness – ensuring that personal and social circumstances are not an obstacle to achieving educational potential Inclusion – ensuring a basic minimum standard education for all

Politics of Social Justice Equal Opportunities Equal Treatment Equal Outcomes

Steps to Social Justice in Education Limit early tracking and streaming Manage school choice Provide attractive alternatives, remove dead ends and prevent dropout Offer second chances to gain from education Systematic help to those who fall behind and reduce school-year repetition

Strengthen links between school and home Respond to diversity and provide for the successful inclusion of migrants and minorities within mainstream education Priority to early childhood provision and basic schooling

Direct resourcing to students and areas with the greatest needs Set concrete targets for more equity (Source: OECD, 2007)

School Qualities Caring Relationships High Expectations Meaningful involvement (Source: Cefai, 2008)

Classroom contexts Caring and Connecting Prosocial and Supportive Engaging Inclusive Collaborative Empowering Learning-focused (Source: Cefai, 2008)