Monday, 15th March 2010 - 09:01CET

Cristina lists proposals to help Maltese communities abroad

Education Minister Dolores Cristina.

The Education Ministry is proposing to offer five scholarships every year to Maltese living abroad to follow courses at the University of Malta specialising in the Maltese language, Education Minister Dolores Cristina said today.

The minister was speaking at the opening of today's proceedings of the Convention of Maltese living abroad.

She said that assistance for the teaching of Maltese abroad had always featured among the wishes of Maltese emigrants.

Therefore, the ministry was also proposing to offer incentives to encourage Maltese teachers to teach Maltese among Maltese communities abroad.

A core group within the ministry had also proposed that the university should produce audio-visual presentations on the teaching of Maltese for distribution to Maltese communities living abroad.

Mrs Cristina said her ministry is also proposing to make better use of IT for distance learning so as to further assist the teaching of Maltese abroad.

Maltese publishers would be assisted through a reduction of the costs of shipment of Maltese books to Maltese communities abroad once enough orders for the books were received.

Mrs Cristina said that the ministry was considering the inclusion of the history of Maltese migration as a unit within the national curriculum.

Similarly, the Faculty of Arts would be encouraged to have credit on the history of Maltese emigration.

Mrs Cristina said her ministry looked forward to the views of the Maltese abroad on the proposals that were being made.

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Comments

Jesmond Micallef(on 15/3/10)

I wholeheartedly welcome this excellent proposal. There is absolutely nothing to complain about here, this is nothing but rock solid positive news. Just keep them rolling in. May I congratulate the Education Ministery for this new opening. With respect to Mr. Geoffrey White's concern here, any suggestions from the readers here ??

Geoffrey White(on 15/3/10)

I hope that this might lead to a course in Maltese for people like me who visit Malta often and would like to attend a suitable course in order to learn the language. I cannot find any in England at the moment. Courses in books, even with CDs, are not as good as a face to face course but I expect that any courses would be held in London, 120 miles fron me!

Denis Catania(on 15/3/10)

Before any Maltese living in Malta complain about this good gesture one should look closely at the positive financial impact that the Maltese abroad contribute to the Maltese Islands.

m.portelli(on 15/3/10)

Gosh all the effort Minister Cristina is putting into teaching Maltese abroad. How about some serious proposals to help the native linguistic community survive? Will she be upholding and supporting more restrictions on language use at University? Will she continue to allow Maltese, a language with a shallow orthography to be taught in the same way as English, a language with a deep orthography in Maltese schools? What are her plans to further the case of Maltese as a language of instruction? Does she have a serious plan to fund the development of audiovisual resource for the teaching of Maltese in local schools? To date the output is abysmal. How does she aim to further the cause of Maltese literature and the Maltese book industry? Will she do her bit in cabinet meetings to get rid of outdated censorship laws, which seem to be particularly biased against the Maltese language? Finally, what are Minister Cristina's plans for an overhaul of the Matsec system for certification in Maltese? We would genuinely like to know!

Kirill Micallef Stafrace(on 15/3/10)

interesting-then how can the minister justify that the Malta Sports Council, that falls under her remit, imposes that funds allocated to some local sports organisations must be utilised for resident maltese athletes only, and not by any Maltese passport holders that reside overseas? I am not stating that this is wrong, but how come two weights two measures?. Also, since the person overseas is Maltese, why would they require a scholarship, are they not entitled to free university tuition or not? We are either all Maltese, for all intentions, or else we are not.

Anna Farrugia(on 15/3/10)

As a volunteer teacher of the Maltese language myself, I welcome these proposals with open arms. However the Maltese in Malta & Gozo should speak properly and not conjugate English verbs with Maltese endings or beginnings! Then these people remark that we Maltese who live amongst other cultures with different languages, that we have forgotten the Maltese language! Everyone was surprised that I still retained the language well - but then I work at it - unlike the locals.
Yes, it would be a pleasure to come to Malta on such a scholarship! There is a lot more that I wish to learn about my mother tongue and mother land! You can take me out of Malta, but you cannot take Malta out of me!

Cassar John(on 16/3/10)

Prosit ! I have wanted to say the same thingsmyelf for a long time. We, Maltese in other lands, can hardly understand the "Maltese News" on Sundays'. Then the Govt. i sgping to spend x mmount of money on teaching us and our children maltese; YET you cannot answer your exams in Maltese at the Maltese University. How ridiculous can one be !!!!

Alfred Clottin(on 16/3/10)

Brava Anna,
I was also taken away from my beloved Island at the age of 16 - allthough I still can speak Maltese I have trouble reading and writing in Maltese. It would be nice to re-educate myself I would love to write a few notes to my Family still in Malta - I alike you they cannot take Malta out of me - Ps. Now I try to visit often as possible. God Bless Malta u Maltin

Cristina lists proposals to help Maltese communities abroad

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