(Click here to read MT version)
Reference is made to recent reports in the media about students suffering from severe allergies and students suffering from diabetes.
In both cases, parents were told that no school officials would administer any life-saving medication to a child due to lack of trained individuals in the respective schools. This is leading to a situation where parents are being indirectly pressured to keep their children at home, in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Teachers, Learning Support Assistants and the Senior Management Team have a loco parentis role to ensure a healthy, secure and safe environment for each child at their respective classrooms/schools.
The Maltese Association of Parents of State School Students (MAPSSS) has written to the Education Minister and the Commissioner for Children asking for a swift solution not only to address the specific cases brought to light by the media, but also similar cases of children who suffer from health conditions that would require immediate response.
MAPSSS urges the Government to draft a National Policy that ensures that, in such cases, the above-mentioned rights of each child are respected
Stqarrija: MAPSSS titlob li d-Drittijiet tat-Tfal jiġu rispettati.
Nagħmlu referenza għall-rapporti reċenti fil-mezzi tax-xandir dwar studenti li jsofru minn allerġiji severi u studenti li għandhom il-kundizzjoni tad-dijabete.
Fiż-żewġ każijiet, kien irrappurtat li l-ġenituri ntqal lilhom li ebda uffiċjal tal-iskola mhu se jamministra mediċina essenzjali lit-tfal minħabba nuqqas ta’ persuni mħarrġa fl-iskejjel rispettivi. Dan qed iwassal għal sitwazzjoni fejn ġenituri qed issirilhom pressjoni indiretta biex ma jibagħtux it-tfal l-iskola – xi ħaġa li tmur kontra l-Konvenzjoni dwar id-Drittijiet tat-Tfal tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti.
L-għalliema, il-learning support assistants u s-senior management team għandhom rwol loco parentis biex jiżgura s-saħħa, is-sigurtà u ambjent san għal kull tifla u tifla fil-klassijiet u fl-iskejjel rispettivi tagħhom.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan, MAPSSS kitbet lill-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni u lill-Kummissarju għat-Tfal biex tappellalhom jaħdmu flimkien sabiex, malajr kemm jista’ jkun, isibu soluzzjoni konkreta biex jindirizzaw mhux biss il-każijiet speċifiċi li ħarġu fil-midja, iżda wkoll każijiet ta’ tfal oħra li jbatu minn kundizzjonijiet ta’ saħħa li jkun jeħteġilhom rispons immedjat.
MAPSSS appellat lill-Gvern biex ifassal Politika Nazzjonali li tiżgura, li f’każijiet simili, id-drittijiet tat-tfal ikunu rispettati.
