Intercultural education in Malta is part of the general school set-up and the curriculum does involve provisions for intercultural education. In fact, the Ministry of Education issued a Policy Paper (2004) declaring intercultural, inclusive policy as one of its main objectives on a national level. The main tenets of this policy entail shared national values and identity, the promotion of tolerance and equality. Students of a foreign origin, mainly African, attending state schools, show a natural preference for learning native Maltese and often use it socially. On the other hand, a privately run International School of English offers a different, multilingual environment.
Examples of initiatives taken by specialised schools to introduce artistic experiences from other parts of the world can be quoted from the programmes at the Malta Drama Centre (African programmes featuring drama and drum dancing or dramatised poetry from Palestine). However, such activities are not yet strongly embedded as part of the minimum national curriculum. At the pre-university level, a subject called Systems of Knowledge does focus on efforts to develop cultural citizenship as part of arts/cultural education aimed at increasing students’ knowledge of human rights, citizens’ rights and responsibilities, understanding of different world religions and influences of different cultures within a given society.
In 2009, St. James Cavalier devised an intercultural dialogue school activity pack. The pack, consisting of 13 lesson plans, was created by educators and artists to provide teachers with creative ideas on how to address intercultural dialogue in the classroom.
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