Damian Spiteri Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer – MCAST
Education as a path to liberation and selfempowerment. The socialisation of African
asylum seeking students at a vocational
college in Malta.
MCAST = the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology.
MCAST (1)
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MCAST (2)
MCAST (3)
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MCAST's ongoing development
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Works taking place on the main campus at
Paola are costing approximately EUR120
million.
Most of the institutes that are not located at
the MCAST main campus will be 'transferred'
there.
Currently, 6,000 students attend MCAST. In
their majority they are in the age-range of 16
and their early and mid-twenties.
MCAST offers an outcomes-based system of
education.
MCAST institutes
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Agribusiness
Applied Sciences
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Art and Design
Information and
Communications
Technology
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Business and
Commerce
Maritime Studies
Electronic and
Electrical engineering
Mechanical
engineering
Building and
Construction
Engineering
Community Services
Gozo Institute
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MCAST students
Range of courses
Introductory Certificate Level
Foundation Level
First Diploma Level
National Diploma Level
Higher National Diploma Level
Degree Level
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Asylum seekers
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Pre-migration issues
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Crossing through
transit countries in
Africa.
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Crossing the desert.
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Crossing the sea.
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Arrival in Malta.
Another “transit
country”?
Arrival in Malta
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Who are the 'minor' asylum
seekers?
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Accompanied minor
asylum seekers (in
Malta with their
family/carers).
Unaccompanied
minor asylum
seekers (in Malta
without their
family/carers).
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Impact of the migration process
Subjective.
Different encounters with trauma-inducing
factors.
Child soldiers?
The role of gender.
Vulnerabilities: poverty, lack of education,
inappropriate social capital.
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Data
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'Naturally occurring data' was sought out
through ongoing observation.
Interviews carried out with asylum seekers
who lived at Dar is-Sliem and Dar il-Liedna.
Interviews carried out at MCAST.
Action research oriented: view to providing
administration relevant data with a view to
empowering it to take action from there.
Findings (a)
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1) Educational experiences and desires are
separate to trauma rehabilitation. Resilience.
2) Family-of-origin issues/upbringing remain
cardinal in their lives. Example, the 'cotton
wool' family and the 'overwhelming' family.
This has an impact on their overall outlook to
life and hence to their education today.
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Findings (b)
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3) None of the participants said that they had
been rounded up/conscripted in military
regimes. Would MCAST have a 'normalizing'
role if such had been the case?
4) None of the participants were homeless and
none lived in abject poverty. Had this situation
arose, would it have been possible for them to
further their studies at MCAST?
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Findings (c)
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5) None of the participants said that they had
stayed in refugee camps. This implies that
they would have lived in conditions where their
safety and security could have been easily
breached; and education would have been
less of a priority than whatever education
could have been offered. MCAST offers
training aimed at the achievement of core
skills at introductory certificate and foundation
levels.
Findings (d)
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6) Language was a major issue to the
migrants. Through the medium of English, they
could follow their lessons; through that of
Maltese, they could interact socially. Possibility
of exploring peer tutoring venues alongside
further formal instruction in the language.
Those from a non-Roman script background
also had to adjust to writing in a different way
to that which they were accustomed to.
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Findings (e)
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7) Preparation to leave residential settings to
forge life independently in the case of
unaccompanied minors was attributed
significant emphasis. Some young people saw
this transitions as extremely stressful and not
all had achieved the same level of
psychological adjustment enabling them to
leave care.
8) Care was an important aspect of their
personal development.
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Findings (f)
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9) The participants took note of the need to
form personal action plans. Ideally these
would be completed with input from college
counselors and would consider (I) transitions
out of care/family disputes* (2) activities of
daily living including relationship skills; (3)
balancing between work and studies; and (4) a
planned departure from Malta.
(*accompanied/unaccompanied minors).
Findings (g)
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10) The communication between the asylum
seekers and the Maltese is sometimes difficult
due to the lack of cultural and linguistic knowhow. However, after time, many have said that
they have come to know the Maltese better
and even “think like them.” Are we speaking
about the adoption (fundamentally) of a hybrid
identity?
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Conclusion.
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Adaptation and re-adaptation.
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Resilience.
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Construction and reconstruction of avenues
whereby the asylum seekers construct a
sense of safety.
Acceptance that they are now 'changed'
people.
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