Joseph Muscat promised the vulnerable parents of disabled children ‘care in the community’

Published: June 28, 2013 at 9:09pm

But the news today is that if parents of children who go to the Wardija school do not immediately respond to the summons to collect any children who are not ‘behaving’ (what is the behavioural code for disabled children?), those children will be sent home in a squad car accompanied by police officers.

Yes, Joseph delivers: your children to your door, courtesy of any police who happen not to be providing catering services to Manuel Mallia.




23 Comments Comment

  1. ciccio says:

    Shame on you Moviment.

  2. Paddling Duck says:

    Proves my point again that this is a far-right leaning populist government.

  3. caflanga says:

    Where’s the Children’s Commissioner? Hibernating?

  4. Toyger says:

    I guess this is what the ‘as required’ shift will entail. They said it would be from 9am till 3pm.

  5. C C says:

    Is this country against children? The Mattia Preti exhibition taking place in the Grand Master’s Palace besides being closed during parliament sessions (ma jmurx xi hadd jidhol jigri fil-parlament) is barred to people with pushchairs.

    When I argued that museums all over Europe have allowed me in with a child in a pushchair, the answer was “Minn naha tal-president HI”.

  6. Joe Fenech says:

    Is this the Labour version of inclusion?

  7. Harry Purdie says:

    Only one word for this, despicable.

  8. maryanne says:

    Most probably the parents who will not be able to go and pick up their children at short notice will be out at work or on errands.

    Can anyone tell me where the police are going to leave the children if nobody is at home?

    • Zuza says:

      I suppose, in this case the children will be taken to the police depot and be entertained by the police. Drinks and eats from the department’s kitchen..

    • Makjavel says:

      Disabled children treated like towed cars.

      The parents will be probably asked to pay a fine to cover the transport and any expenses made, failing which their children will not be handed over but will be kept at the Floriana HQ until the money is forthcoming.

      Taghna lkoll and and all that BS.

  9. Last Post says:

    Without exonerating the Ministry concerned (is it the Education or Social Policy?) one is tempted to assume that such a policy could only be issued by the school management (għax issa għandna l-‘power’!)

    Considering they used to accuse the PN government of ‘laissez-faire’, this is crass anarchy – if the assumption is correct. Besides the insensitivity, it is also a stupid decision (there might be nobody at home, and then what?). If anything, it is another proof that the ‘new’ government is turning the country on its head.

    The PN’s (and Dr Gonzi in particular) handling of persons with disability has been most commendable. I’m sure (or should I say I hope?) the KNPD will condemn such a policy and insist on a full explanation.

    The switchers should (even if they won’t) be ashamed of themselves by now. If the transfer of power after the election was a smooth one the administration and governance of the country has definitely not been the same.

    One of the election victory banners said: In JM we trust! Some trust indeed!

  10. Antoine Vella says:

    Before the elections, one of the bloggers on The Times of Malta website, a certain Bezzina, made a big fuss about how josephmuscat.com will look after disabled people while the evil GonziPN had abandoned them.

    I don’t expect she will be commenting now. Admitting she was wrong is very difficult.

    • P Shaw says:

      She is Alison Bezzina, another Times MLP-leaning and anti-Gonzi columnist who voted on a single issue, due to her disabled brother.

      This week I met another set of parents in Mellieha who were staunch Nationalists and voted MLP as a result of the promises made personally by Muscat to them. They have a disabled son. Mind you, they had to parade their son and themselves on Super one prior to the election.

      The father was transferred to work at the Mellieha sendo residents’ home by the evil PN government so that he could work close to his home, just in case his son needed attention.

      I am not sure whether to dismiss these people as being subject to blind faith or desperate straw-clutching, or to feel sorry for them for being used so unethically.

  11. 4gonzi says:

    I wonder if Philip Rizzo would like to comment

  12. Min Jaf says:

    Care in the community = Chuck the vulnerable out from care centres onto the street.

  13. zunzana says:

    If the police can be ordered to work as cooks and waiters, they could also be asked to work as taxi drivers.

  14. Tracy says:

    This Government has no mercy at all.

  15. Ghoxrin Punt says:

    Is this Mallia’s way of making sure the competition do not supercede him?

    You know, with policemen acting as chefs, waiters and babysitters, who is going to catch the criminals that feed the lawyers?

  16. Selit says:

    police
    Pronunciation: /pəˈliːs/
    Translate police | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
    Definition of police
    noun
    [treated as plural] (usually the police)
    the civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order:
    local people have lost faith in the police
    [as modifier]:
    the coroner will await the outcome of police inquiries
    members of a police force:
    there are fewer women police than men
    [with adjective or noun modifier] an organization engaged in the enforcement of official regulations in a specified domain:
    transport police
    verb
    [with object]
    (of a police force) have the duty of maintaining law and order in or at (an area or event):
    (as noun policing)
    a ten-point plan to improve policing
    enforce regulations or an agreement in (a particular area or domain):
    a UN resolution to use military force to police the no-fly zone
    enforce the provisions of (a law, agreement, or treaty):
    the regulations will be policed by factory inspectors

    Couldn’t help looking up policeman in http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/police.
    Guess Manwel needs to send them an addition to their definition, which is “provide catering services to the high society” and “taxi services for unruly children” .

  17. andrew farrugia says:

    What about the other students present who may be at risk from the disturbed behaviour being mentioned!! Shouldn’t they be considered too?

  18. Don't talk if you do not know what is going on says:

    I suggest all you people shut up and don’t talk unless you work at Wardija!!! I read the policy mentioned. The police will be called if the parents fail to go pick up their kids and their behaviour is threatening to themselves or of to those around them. These students are usually driven home in a van full of students with only 2 or 3 escorts. If a student is doing a tantrum and is hiting biting etc how do you suggest they take him home? The police will be there to ensure the safety of the staff and the fellow students..

  19. Don't talk if you do not know what is going on says:

    Nobody is saying to chuck these children in the streets. And if the parents are on an errand they will wait for them. What happens if the child doing a huge violent tantrum hurts your child? Or you who are working there? This policy was made to ensure the safety of the workers there, other students who attend the centre and also the student themselves. Where are the rights of the LSAs??

  20. Marie says:

    Andrew Farrugia is right. Here we’re not talking about kids with physical disability, but young adults (20 year olds!) with e.g. with autism, who are physically strong and who whilst having challenging behaviour may be physically aggressive, thus possibly hurt the other students. Please let’s not make a political issue out of this. This is a question of safety for the other students who may be at risk.

    [Daphne – Oh come on. This is unbelievable.]

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