Chapter 7: The Introduction of Policies, Structures and Practices to Address Migration: The Case of Malta

Every year, thousands of people flee conflicts, repression and instability in their home countries, making the treacherous journey from the African continent across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Hundreds end up on the island of Malta. This raises critical questions about how European countries, particularly the European Union (EU), address migration issues. A key concern is how countries integrate migrants into their societies, with education provision being top of Malta’s agenda. As Bezzina and Vassallo (2019) argue, addressing the educational development of migrant learners requires contextualized school leadership processes that encourage teachers to value the cultural capital migrant learners bring to their classrooms. The authors advocate for culturally responsive leadership that connects students’ cultures, languages and life experiences with their school learning. This approach includes: (a) recognizing schools’ influence on society and community development, (b) rejecting a one-size-fits-all leadership philosophy, (c) embracing migrant students’ cultural capital, (d) adapting leadership styles to include diverse cultural philosophies, (e) conveying to teachers that learning should not be confined to a monocultural context and (f) promoting the employment of teachers whose cultural backgrounds reflect their students’ diversity. This chapter explores Malta’s efforts to tackle this immense task in a context fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. It emphasizes the role of the new Strategy for Education 2024–2030 (MEYR, 2023) in deploying resources and enacting policies to bring about critical and necessary changes.