University of Opole
Institute of Pedagogical Sciences
Department of Special Pedagogy
invite to
The 1st Polish-Maltese Scientific Seminar, entitled
‘Inclusive education in Poland and Malta: In search of equity, diversity, and quality education. Good practices’.
Opole, May 22nd , 2025
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Prof. Colin Calleja, B.Ed. (Hon), M.Ed. (Melit.), Ph.D. (Lipsk) – Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Dr hab. Anna Danuta Weissbrot-Koziarska, PhD, prof. UO – Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, University of Opole
Dr hab. Katarzyna Skałacka, PhD, prof. UO – Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr hab. Edward Janusz Nycz, PhD, prof. UO – Director, Institute of Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr hab. Irena Mudrecka, PhD, prof. UO – Head, Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Prof. dr hab. Ewa Wysocka, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Beata Górnicka, PhD – Coordinator, Major in Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Josephine Deguara B.Ed. (Hon.), M.A. ECEC (Melit.), Ph.D. (Sheffield) – Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Dr Jonathan Borg B.Ed.(Hons), M.Ed.(Melit.), Ph.D.(Sheffield) – Department for Inclusion and Access to Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Dr hab. Fabian Andruszkiewicz, PhD, prof. UO – Head, Department of of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Patrycja Kaszubska-Dziergas, PhD – Vice-Director, Institute of Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Dr Mariusz Garbiec, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Przemysław Eugeniusz Kaniok, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Weronika Kurcz, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Emilia Lichtenberg-Kokoszka, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Dr Teresa Segiet, PhD – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
Mgr Alicja Wróblewska, M.A. Ed. – Department of Special Pedagogy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Opole
SECRETARY OF THE SEMINAR
Dr Przemysław Eugeniusz Kaniok, PhD
‘(…) So celebrate the colors of all smiles every day. Oh, how boring would a rainbow be if all we saw was gray’.
From the poem ‘Thoughts on diversity’,
by Jeanne Davis Kopetic
INTRODUCTION
More than 80 years ago, in the ‘American Journal of Psychiatry’, the American neurologist – Foster Kennedy stated that the lives of ‘nature mistakes’ (a term which refers to children with disabilities) should be ended when they reached the age of five (Kennedy 1942, p. 14). As Kennedy claimed: ‘It is a merciful and kindly thing to relieve that defective – often tortured and convulsed, grotesque and absurd, useless and foolish, and entirely undesirable – of the agony of living’ (Kennedy 1942, p. 14). Such attitude towards individuals with disabilities was a result of the views, based on the concept of eugenics, introduced by Francis Galton. Moreover, among the practices implemented in the societies of that time, was the practice of segregating individuals with disabilities (based on the degeneration theory introduced in 1857 by the French psychotherapist Benedict Morel) through institutionalization (i.e. detaining them in closed institutions run by the state). Another practice towards children with disabilities was the concept of ‘selective breeding’. The idea was based on the considerations related to the inheritance of intellectual limitations from generation to generation, supported by the analyses of the functioning of specific families, such as the Kalikak and Jukes families. The facts mentioned in the history of people with disabilities constitute the best explanation for inclusive education, one of humanity`s the greatest achievements. Inclusive education is ‘(…) a system where all students, regardless of their challenges or disabilities, are taught together in an environment that provides personalized support, fostering their academic and social development’ (Mardones et al., 2024, p. 577). Regardless of the definitional approach to this issue, for this Seminar, inclusive education will be discussed in a much broader context, for instance, the inclusion of various groups of children, adolescents, and adults, due to the type and degree of their disability, sexual orientation, social maladjustment or nationality, functioning in various kinds of educational environments (from kindergarten to education institutions, which activities are addressed to adults).
POLAND AND MALTA`S WAY TO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN AN OUTLINE
The choice of Poland and Malta as the subject of consideration for this Seminar in the context of inclusive education is not accidental. This was due to historical and contemporary socio-cultural circumstances in Poland and Malta. One of the historical premises that undoubtedly constitutes a reason to discuss them in this particular context is their common Christian roots.
It was 966 and the beginning of Christianity in Poland, that initiated the educational activity in Poland, associating it from then on with the culture of Western Europe. One of the most important moments in the history of the Polish educational system was the establishment of the Cracow Academy in 1364 (later renamed the Jagiellonian University) which is now 661 years old. As far as the issue of compulsory schooling is concerned, it was introduced in Poland in 1919 (Dziewulak 2010, p. 1). Even earlier, at the end of 1817, the first special school was established in Poland, founded by the Rev. Jakub Falkowski, and called the Deaf-Mute Institute. On the other hand, the first facility for blind individuals was established in Poland in 1842 (Kulbaka 2019, p. 119). Despite the rich history of special education institutions and the teachers` achievements, until the interwar period special education, in terms of the number of facilities, was in the organizational phase and could not fully meet the existing needs of children with disabilities and their families. During the interwar period, training of teaching staff, counseling, and studies within special pedagogy was initiated at the National Institute of Special Pedagogy founded in 1922. The first director of the Institute was Maria Grzegorzewska – one of the most important figures in the history of Polish special pedagogy (Czarnecka 2024, p. 77). Until the end of the 1980s the educational model, that was in force at that time, was based only on the functioning of special schools and was different from Western European experiences and models. After 1989, special education in Poland began to evolve towards integrated education which was common for Western European countries. The 1990s brought the development of the currently applicable mixed educational model, where special schools, school, and educational centers, integrated classes as well as inclusive education institutions parallelly function. The contemporary model of special education in Poland is an open model to solutions that empower individuals with disabilities in such areas as social assistance, education, the labor market, and meeting their existential needs (all goals that could not be achieved until now). According to the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), entitled ‘Education at a Glance 2024’, Poland spends 4.6 percent of its gross domestic product on education, which is below the average for other OECD countries (4.9 percent) (OECD 2024). Apart from the aspect of disability, another area that requires the implementation of inclusion in Poland, is the issue of the growing number of foreigners, both coming from third-world countries as well as from Ukraine. According to the Central Statistical Office, there are currently 37.637 million inhabitants living in Poland (Central Statistical Office 2024, p. 2), among whom foreigners constitute 2.5 million people (Polish Economic Institute 2024, p. 1), that is 6.64 percent of the entire population. Therefore there is a need to implement the idea of inclusion also in the context of foreigners in Poland.
The second country that will be discussed during this Seminar, in the context of inclusive education, will be Malta. The Republic of Malta has a rich cultural heritage, dating back to the 5th century BC, while the University of Malta can boast a history spanning over 400 years. It was then that the islands belonged to the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John. Between 1800 and 1964, Malta was a British colony. Due to that Malta`s educational system has many relics of colonial times. Compulsory school attendance was introduced in Malta in 1946, but it was not until the early 1950s that all Maltese children were assigned to attend school. In 1956 special education began in Malta. Although the establishment of special education institutions at that time is today perceived as a step backward because it involved separating students with disabilities from able-bodied children, from the perspective of Maltese society it was the first step towards recognizing the rights and potential of every child. Within the 1970s and 1980s of the 20th century, Malta shared with the international community the concern for the integration of children with disabilities with their able-bodied peers in mainstream schools. Since the 1990s, the concept of integrated education in Malta has been perceived as the first step towards inclusive education, which means that mainstream education must meet the needs of all students (Bartolo 2001). Malta currently spends over 5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on education, which places it among the top European Union countries. According to data from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 96 percent of children with disabilities in Malta attend classes where inclusive education is provided. By comparison, in the UK this share is just 47.8 percent (The Alliance for Inclusive Education 2020). The idea of inclusion in Maltese society is beginning to play an increasingly important role, especially in the context of cultural diversity. Due to the migration movements from African countries, Malta faces the challenge of integrating immigrants into its society. The mentioned situation is best reflected in Eurostat statistics, which indicate that on the 1st of January 2023, there were 94,800 citizens of third world countries living in Malta, constituting 17.5 percent of the total population and 42,600 representatives of European Union countries (7.9 percent). Given that Malta has a total population of 542,000, issues related to the immigrants from the African continent and the need for their inclusion in the rest of society are one of the most important tasks for the country. The above issues do not exhaust the list of areas in which inclusive education can be implemented, but they are a clear signal of the need to talk about them and act on their behalf.
SEMINAR OBJECTIVES
The most important objectives of the Seminar include:
– increasing public awareness regarding the benefits of inclusive education for both Polish and Maltese societies and the governments themselves;
– improving the skills of students of special education and the professional competencies of teachers in the field of inclusive education;
– exchange of good practices in the field of inclusive education and development of cooperation between scientists, teachers, and students of special education and early school education, which will enable the creation of new strategies for working with people at risk of social exclusion;
– proposing practical recommendations to improve the quality of forms and methods of working with children, youth, and adults within inclusive education.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS OF THE SEMINAR
Prof. Colin Calleja
B.Ed. (Hon), M.Ed. (Melit.), Ph.D. (Lipsk) – Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Profesor Colin CALLEJA B.Ed. (Hon), M.Ed. (Melit.), Ph.D. (Lipsk) is the Dean of the Faculty of Education. He is an Associate Professor in Differentiated and diversity Pedagogies. He is also the promoter and national and European coordinator for the Let Me Learn Process. In his doctoral studies he focused on teacher transformation. He critically analysed how a wellstructured continuing professional development process can lead to a transformational professional experience. Over the years he was involved in a number of national and European projects focusing on teacher formation, the education and training of mentors and migrant education. He has authored a number of peer reviewed journal articles and books.
Dr Josephine Deguara
B.Ed. (Hon.), M.A. ECEC (Melit.), Ph.D. (Sheffield) – Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Dr Josephine Deguara B.Ed. (Hon.), M.A. ECEC (Melit.), Ph.D. (Sheffield) is Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Education, at the University of Malta. Her teaching and research focus on curriculum philosophy and pedagogy, play and learning, and language use in diverse early and primary years settings. She also has a long-held research interest in children’s drawings, children’s identity, and children’s participation rights in research. Together with Prof Dame Cathy Nutbrown, she coauthored the book, Children Making Meaning: Exploring Drawings, Narratives and Identities (Routledge, 2025), emphasising the role of drawing as a meaning-making tool and a mode of communication for young children. Dr Deguara serves as an editorial board member of the International Journal of Early Years Education (IJEYE) and is a member and reviewer of several early years associations and scientific journals in education. She has presented internationally and authored numerous scientific papers, book chapters, research reports, and book reviews. Dr Deguara has worked on several funded projects focusing on curriculum, multilingualism, primary education and parentally involvement in education. She is currently the research co-ordinator of the International Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group (ITLSIG), that focuses on the enhancement of teaching, learning, assessment and pedagogical research in Higher Education. Together with Dr Gladson Chikwa, Dr Edwin Rajah and Dr Yanmin Zhao she is the co-editor of two, forthcoming chapter books that offer global perspectives into innovative practices in Higher Education (Emerald, 2025).
Dr Jonathan Borg
B.Ed.(Hons),M. Ed.(Melit.), Ph.D.(Sheffield) – Department for Inclusion and Access to Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Malta
Dr Jonathan Borg, B.Ed.(Hons),M. Ed.(Melit.), Ph.D.(Sheffield) is an academic lecturer at the Department for Inclusion and Access to Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Malta. After graduating as a Primary School teacher, he pursued a Master’s in Responding to Student Diversity and was awarded a PhD in Inclusive Education from the University of Sheffield, UK. Dr Borg’s teaching and research focus on inclusion, strategies for inclusive education, early intervention, person-centred planning, self-determination, sexual and gender diversity in education, narrative research, and specifically creative non-fiction methodologies. Dr Borg coordinates the BA (Hons) in Facilitating Inclusive Education, which prepares students to foster and promote inclusive learning environment. This course covers core inclusive education principles, and the implementation of inclusive education policy. Dr Borg organises professional development initiatives in schools and educational centres. Dr Borg supervises a number of undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations, contributes to the training of learning support educators and pre-service teachers and participates in national and international research projects. His recent publications include Leading for Inclusion: The Role of the Head of Department for Inclusion in Middle and Secondary State Schools in Malta (2024), Unlocking the Power of Collaborative Learning in Secondary Schools: A Transnational Comparative Analysis Between Italy and Malta (2023), and The Narratives of Gay Male Teachers in Contemporary Catholic Malta, in Mapping the Rainbow: Researching the Diverse Colours of the LBTIQ Community (2020). He has presented research at national and international conferences on inclusive education and is a member of the SEA-EU expert group on Inclusive Teaching and Learning practices.
THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS PROCEEDINGS
1. ‘The Education System in Malta: An Overview’
Prof. Colin Calleja, B.Ed. (Hon), M.Ed. (Melit.), Ph.D. (Lipsk)
Dr Josephine Deguara, B.Ed. (Hon.), M.A. ECEC (Melit.), Ph.D. (Sheffield)
Dr Jonathan Borg, B.Ed.(Hons),M. Ed.(Melit.), Ph.D.(Sheffield)
2. ‘Experiencing curriculum reform in the early years in Malta: Changes in educators’ perspectives of children in pedagogical decision-making’
Dr Josephine Deguara, B.Ed. (Hon.), M.A. ECEC (Melit.), Ph.D. (Sheffield)
3. ‘The Let Me Learn Process: History, Development and Implementation’
Prof. Colin Calleja, B.Ed. (Hon), M.Ed. (Melit.), Ph.D. (Lipsk)
4. ‘Sexual and Gender Diversity in Education’
Dr Jonathan Borg, B.Ed.(Hons),M. Ed.(Melit.), Ph.D.(Sheffield)
REFERENCES
Kennedy F. (1942). The problem of social control of the congenital defective: education, sterlization, euthanasia, ‘The American Journal of Psychiatry’, 99, p. 13-16.
Mardones J. A. G., Moraga-Flores H., Navarrete-Oyarce J., Araya-Castillo L. (2024). Literature mapping and collaboration on inclusive education, ‘Interciencia’, vol. 49, p. 577-586.
Dziewulak D. (2010). Obowiązek szkolny w Unii Europejskiej, ‘Analizy’, nr 9(34), 1-10 .
Kulbaka J. (2019). Special education in Poland (until 1989) – historical perspective, ‘Interdisciplinary Contexts of Special Pedagogy’, no. 27, 117-149.
Czarnecka I. (2024). Pierwsi wykładowcy Państwowego Instytut Pedagogiki Specjalnej, ‘Studia Pedagogica Ignatiana’, nr 2, s. 77-92. OECD (2024). Education at a Glance 2024. Source: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/09/education-at-a-glance-2024-country-notes_532eb29d/poland_6387c2cb/62a46998-en.pdf
Central Statistical Office (2024). Polska w liczbach 2024, Warszawa, p. 1-40.
Polish Economic Institute (2024). Co trzeci Polak zawyża liczbę cudzoziemców w Polsce, p. 1-4. Source: https://pie.net.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024_06_18_Co-trzeci-Polak-zawyza-liczbe-cudzoziemcow-w-Polsce.pdf
Bartolo P. A. (2001). Recent developments in inclusive education in Malta, ‘Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies’, vol. 6(2), s. 65-91.