Policy, research and the development of school counselling in Malta : lessons learnt in a small-island community

Abstract

Malta is a southern member of the European Union (EU) located in the Mediterranean. It is 80 km south of Sicily, 284 km east of Tunisia and 333 km north of Libya. With an area of 316 km2 and a population of just over 450,000, Malta is one of the world’s smallest and most densely populated countries and comprised of two main islands, Malta and Gozo. Most have Maltese as their mother tongue, whilst the rest are either totally English speaking or bilingual or use Maltese and English interchangeably (Borg, Mifsud, & Schiriha, 1996; Camilleri, 1996). Malta was under British rule from 1800, became independent in 1964 and became a republic in 1974. Its justice system, educational system and the profession of counselling are all based on the British model (Farrugia, 1992; Sultana, 2006).