Maltese primary teachers in the 19th century : a portrait of the teaching profession

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to construct a portrait of the teaching profession in Malta in the 19th century based on various education documents. It aims to construct an account of the teachers' identity by focusing on their duties, teaching conditions, their training as teachers and their status amongst others. This research covers the whole 19th century period, particularly focusing on the mid 19th century onwards when the educational system was introduced and developed. It takes the reader on a step by step journey towards discovering the work of a 19th century primary school teacher. Thus, in order to give our reader a clear framework, the first chapter is dedicated to the methodology of this research, which provides a description of our role as historians and gives an explanation of the research process. The second chapter conveys a general overview of Maltese life by highlighting the state of education in the 1800s and the following chapters deal explicitly with the teachers' life, particularly focusing on teaching duties, teaching conditions and teacher training. The final chapter takes a comparative perspective and delves into the lives of teachers abroad in conjunction with Maltese teachers. Through this, the reader will get a glimpse of the teachers' life in the past; a life lived by his ancestors.