Durham E-Theses A study of elementary education in Malta and the problems aecting its development Thompson, R. S. How to cite: Thompson, R. S. (1943) A study of elementary education in Malta and the problems aecting its development, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9688/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 A STUDY OP ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN MALTA AND THE PROBLEMS v AFFECTING ITS DEVELOPMENT. V CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. ' CHAPTER I: THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN MALTA. CHAPTER 2; THE PRESENT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IN MALTA. CHAPTER 3: THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND ITS PROBLEMS. t i CHAPTER 4: THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND. CHAPTER 5: THE PROBLEMS OF CHILD WELFARE. CHAPTER 6: COMPULSORY EDUCATION. CHAPTER 7: SCHOOL STAFFING AND ITS PROBLEMS. CHAPTER 8:" THE PROBLEM OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. CHAPTER 9: THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM OF ANNUAL EXPENDITURE. CHAPTER 10: THE LANGUAGE QUESTION. CHAPTER II: PROBLEMS OF THE CURRICULUM. CHAPBffiR 12: THE WAR AND EDUCATION IN MALTA. CHAPTER 13; CONCLUSION / /, K IT-U^-, s.fe.,2>,TU>.r. £r&c&u2*~6 £^t*^n*y V^^^L^O h^b. St* — • BIBLIOGRAPHY. British Malta. Eaferla. Malta, 1938. The Colonial Administration of Dixon. London, 1937. • Sir Thomas Maitland. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica. The Friend-. - Coleridge. London, I8I80 The History of the Fortress of Porter. London, 1858. Malta* - • Histoire de Malte. •Miege. Paris, 1840. The Keepers'of the Temple. Ryan." London, 1930. The Knights of Malta Porter. London, 1840, The Letters of Sir George Cornwall1 • Malta, 1927. lewis. Malta- Zammit. Malta, 1929. Malta and Gibraltar. Macmillan. London, 1915« Malta Memories. Brockman. London, 1938. Malta, Past and Present. Seddall. London, 1870. Scientia. The Quarterly Review of theDominica n Friars in Malta. Sir Thomas Maitland. Lord. London, 1897» The Story of Man in Malta. Laferla. Maltaf 1935. Vassalli and his Times. Cremona. Malta, 1940. The following documents, reports and official publications have "been consulted;- Debates in the Malta Council of Government. Documents relating to the French Occupation of Malta. Economic Survey of the British Colonial Empire. (1936) Malta Blue Book.(Annual). Malta Government Gazette. Malta Government Ordinances and Notices. Malta Royal Commission - Minutes of Evidence. (1931). Malta Royal Commission - Report. (1932). Memo, to H.E. the Governor by the Crown Advocate. (Emigration, 1878). Report on the Educational System of Malta. (Keenan, 1879). Report on Primary Education in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. (Pullicino, l'a50) * : . , : ..'.>:./ .• . .rC-X-::.. r .Report:.on: the Organization-.:©£.•; Education^ in Maltha(Bruce., j.921-)v. a-:r- Report on the System of Education in Malta in. 1901>j: (Ta:gliaferro). Report on the Education Department. (Se^^t-G^^ittep,-;^^)^,-. Report on.Economic Conditions^in Cyprus and Malta. (I935)t.;: .-.--^ • Report of the Royal -Commission on Econo.raic-G.pn^itioQS in Malta-. (-1911). Reports of the Department of Education. (Annual). Reports; of the Departmentyot-. the Minister for Public-j- InstrucJbio-n>; (Annual Reports; -of the Department. iof-Labour and Eradication. ,(Annual). r. : Reports.: of the Medical and-Health Department. (Annual)., a,; . .•<,:;; Repo^tsi.of the Public Works Departmenjt;r.-r(Annual);. ._-_> ; = . .-• , : ~ ;T Reports of the Census of the Maltese Islands. (1911, 1921, and 1931).. In ^addition to the authorities quoted, a wide general reading has been ;-• - • :. ,fir:t.Iuorir.' , .'•»•'). ' undertaken and numerous small works and pamphlets of local significance have been consulted. Due to the kindness of Dr, Laferla, the Director of Education, opport• unities for personal observation were made possible. In addition, Dr. Laf erla permitted me to see copies of Colonial Office Reports which concern• ed Education in Malta. / INTRODUCTION. The Maltese Islands are small and, in spite of their being densely populated, the number of people T/ho live in them is no more than the population of a large provincial town in England. None the less, the Islands constitute a country and the Maltese are a nation. They have their own fascinating history, their own great traditions, their own language and institutions. Moreover, they have their own problems. This study is an attempt to explain one of these problems - the problem of education. To do so is not easy. Con• ditions in Malta are, in many respects, peculiar and those under which education has developed are no exception. Many factors; economic, social, religious, political and financial are involved* Each has had a direct bearing on the schools and each will play its part in shaping their future. The work has been limited to the Government Elementary Schools as these affect the vast majority of the people and as the development of other schools depends largely on the state of primary education. A history of education in Malta and a resume of the present position are followed by chapters devoted to the factors and problems which influenced the progress of education. Throughout, these chapters lead up to the years immediately preceding the present war but an additional chapter deals with the repercussions of the years 1939-19U2. It is hoped that this arrangement will serve to give a clear picture of the subject. CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OP EDUCATION IN MALTA. The history of Malta is largely dominated by the rule of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. They had been expelled from Rhodes in 1522 by Soliman and had journeyed to Italy where they settled at Civita Vecchia and Viterbo pending the provision of a permanent home. During this period of eight years, Clement VII ascended the Throne of St. Peter's. He was himself a member of the Order and it was at his request that the Emporor Charles V of Spain offered the Island to the fraternity. This he was able to do, as the Spanish dominions included the Kingdom of Sicily. Malta had been united to this Kingdom since 1090 when Count Roger of Normandy landed, at the invitation of the Islanders, and brought to an end two hundred and twenty years of Arab domination and oppression. Philip Villiers de L'Isle Adam arrived in Malta in 1530. He had been Grand Master of the Order at the time of the evacuation of Rhodes and was the first of the Grand Masters in their new home. Their rule was destined to extend to 1798 and, in all, twenty eight Grand Masters were to preside over the Order in the Island. It was during the reign of the ninth of these Masters, Hugh de Verdala (1581-1595), that Malta's education system had its beginning. In 1577^ Tommaso Gargallo, Prior of the Conventual Church, had entertained the idea of establishing a college and inviting the Jesuits to come and teach in it. Gargallo became Bishop of Malta shortly afterwards and his plans bore fruit. The Society of Jesus was summoned to the Island from Sicily and it speedily established itself under a Father Caspano. In 15^1, it had been given powers, in a Bull from Pope Pius VI, to confer the degrees of Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Divinity. Verdala granted a licence for the building of what was to be known as the "College of Jesus" and twelve of the Jesuits were detailed to teach Grammar and Humanities. The Bishop's palace was used as a temporary building but a gift of 2,000 scudi from the King of Spain and the bequest of a sum, equivalent to £h,,000, by Verdala allowed work to be started on the College proper in 1595, Grand Master Garzes ,(15.95-1 ^01) being present at the « laying of the Foundation stone. The building was completed and occupied in l6o2. The next appreciable advance in education occurred in 1655 when the scope of the College was considerably extended. Grand Master John de Lascaris (1636-1657) arranged an annuity which permitted the appointment of a teacher of Mathematics. The Knights of Provence, Auvergne and France made it possible for French to be taught. Finally, Pope Alexander VII secured for the Jesuits a sufficient income to allow a School of Arabic to be established. This last innovation had a particular interest in that Arabic had great affinity with the language of the Maltese. It was, incidentally, during Lascaris* tenure of office that the Jesuits were, for the first time, expelled from the Island. In 1639, at Carnival time, a number of young Knights impersonated members of the Society. Protests brought punishment to the offenders but they retaliated by sacking the College and the disturbances which followed led to the Jesuits' expulsion. The Pope was, however, deeply offended and they returned shortly afterwards, as a result of his intervention, to continue their invaluable work. A new branch of organised studies was introduced into the Island in 1676 when Nicolas Cotoner, the Grand Master, established a School of Anatomy and Surgery. This was attached to the Hospital of the Order and had no connection with the College but it was destined, in time, to become an integral part of the University of Malta.