Unit I

• In the early 1800s, very little progress was made in primary education in Malta because the Government did not want to invest in educating the people
• The Royal Commission of Inquiry in 1836 found only three primary schools in Malta and criticized the widespread illiteracy due to poverty among working-class families
• Canon Paolo Pullicino, between 1850 and 1880, took measures to improve schooling in Malta by organizing primary education, persuading parents to send children to school, and advocating for increased teacher pay
• Patrick Keenan's report in 1878 criticized the poor conditions in schools, including lack of proper training for teachers, small and poorly ventilated classrooms, and difficult textbooks
• Factors contributing to poor learning in Malta in 1878 included lack of playgrounds, small and poorly ventilated classrooms, and difficult textbooks
• Keenan suggested improvements such as setting up a Department of Education, distributing prizes to encourage learning, and better training for teachers
• Keenan's report led to the beginning of reforms in Maltese education, with Sigismondo Savona and Gerald Strickland implementing changes
• Sigismondo Savona was involved in Maltese education in the 1880s by working on educational reforms
• The Compulsory Attendance Act of 1924 and the Compulsory Education Act of 1946 differed in the level of compulsion they imposed on school attendance
• The Compulsory Schooling Acts of 1924 and 1946 differed in the following ways:

  • The 1924 Act focused on compulsory education for children aged 5 to 14, while the 1946 Act extended this to children aged 5 to 15
  • The 1946 Act introduced the 11+ exam to determine secondary school placement, which was not present in the 1924 Act
• These Acts contributed to the development of education and schooling in 19th and 20th century Malta through various individuals:

  (a) John Austin and Cornwall Lewis: Contributed to educational reforms and improvements in teaching methods

  (b) Paolo Pullicino: Advocated for increased access to education for all social classes

  (c) Patrick Keenan: Proposed language and education reforms that sparked political division

  (d) Albert V. Laferla: Worked towards enhancing the quality of education and curriculum development

  (e) Joseph P. Vassallo: Focused on promoting literacy and numeracy skills among the population
• The early Maltese political parties between 1879-1921 included:

  1. The Reform Party led by Sigismondo Savona, aiming for educational and language reforms

  2. The Partito Nazionale led by Fortunato Mizzi, opposing education and language reforms and advocating for self-government

  3. The Partito Popolare led by Monsignor Ignazio Panzavecchia, standing for Malta's Italian and Catholic culture and traditions
• The first Maltese political parties made their ideas known to the people through:

  • Public meetings and mass gatherings
  • Publications and newspapers
• The Maltese Church got involved in party politics in the 1890s and later by:

  • Representing the clergy in the Council of Government
  • Supporting parties aligned with Catholic values
• Two issues directly involving the political parties between 1880 and 1921 were:

  • Language reforms, particularly the substitution of Italian with English
  • Self-government and local autonomy
• In late 19th century Malta, the following groups mostly supported the Partito Nazionale:

  (a) the professional class (lawyers, doctors, notaries etc.)

  (b) the greater part of the clergy (priests and friars)

  (c) the civil service (government) employees

  (d) the businessmen and the merchants
• Having different political parties in a democratic country is important because:

  • Ensures diverse representation and viewpoints
  • Fosters healthy debate and accountability
• The Maltese Language Question began in the 1870s when there was a push to substitute Italian with English as the language of education and culture in Malta. This led to a division between Reformers and Anti-Reformers, sparking the formation of the first political parties in Malta
• The Language Question became a hotter issue between 1898 and 1903 due to:

  • Gerald Strickland's introduction of free choice for language of instruction
  • Pro-Italian demonstrations against the Government's language policy
  • British-Italian negotiations on the Maltese Language Question
• The Language Question in Malta flared up again in the 1920s and 1930s due to changes in language policies after the Maltese were given responsible government in 1921
• Gerald Strickland's language policy in 1927 supported by the Labour Party gave more importance to English and Maltese, removing Italian from various official uses
• The urban working class had to accept English as their second language due to the importance given to English for promotions and employment
• The prospect of emigration to English-speaking countries encouraged the working classes to learn English rather than Italian
• In 1929, the Government permitted the use of Maltese in the Law Courts for the first time
• The British Government restricted the influence of the Italian language after 1933 due to concerns about Italian Fascist propaganda in Malta
• Measures taken by the British Government in the 1930s to reduce the influence of Italian in Malta included declaring English, Italian, and Maltese as official languages, making English the only official language of the administration, and using Maltese in the Law Courts
• The outbreak of World War II in 1940 led to the end of the Language Question concerning the Italian language in Malta