Before the birth of real popular education in British Colonial Malta (1800-1836)

Abstract

Before Britain took over the Maltese Islands, the latter did not have any real school structure. Even with the arrival ofthe British in 1800, little changed for the first three decades. Malta had only some private schools. which were run by afewforeign and local teachers, and a number ofnormal schools run as semi-charitable institutions. Gozo fared even worse. The local Roman Catholic Church did not help much to promote education along this period and the colollial government did not show any particular verve towards the opening of schools for the populace. Things only began to change when (j Royal Commission visited Malta in 1836.