Commissioner for Education urges action to safeguard right to education for LSE-supported and CCP Students during MATSEC period

Commissioner for Education urges action to safeguard right to education for LSE-supported and CCP Students during MATSEC period

Published April 28, 2025

The Commissioner for Education within the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman has in the past days received several communications from parents of LSE supported children in state secondary schools who will not be sitting for their MATSEC examinations. These parents have expressed concern that their year-11 children have been told to remain at home between today the 28th of April and the 29th of June. 

From preliminary information obtained it would appear that although the Education Authorities are providing a special course for these students for that period, very few parents have in fact applied to have these children attend this course, possibly indicating lack of proper consultation with these parents as to the needs of the children and the parents’ expectations.

Similar concern has been expressed by the parents of years 7 to 10 Core Curriculum Programme (CCP) students over the possibility of their children also being told to remain at home at some stage in the future.

The situation appears to be exacerbated by current directives issued by the Union of Professional Educators (UPE) restricting the temporary re-assignment/redeployment of union members from year-11 children taking MATSEC exams to support children in lower years who are without an LSE.

The Commissioner for Education reminds all the education-providing stakeholders – principally the Education Authorities and all the unions concerned – that children with disabilities, like other children, have a fundamental right to schooling and to the best education possible compatible with their situation, and that they should not be subjected to improper discrimination because of their disability. The Commissioner also enjoins the stakeholders to bear constantly in mind the already heavy burden, both emotional and financial, being carried by the parents of these children, and hopes that nothing will be done to increase that burden.