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MELBOURNE VICTORIA AUSTRALIA 2007 Report by Roseanne Pirotta Submitted to the Prime Minister of Malta Dr Lawrence Gonzi During his visit to Melbourne August 2007 SUMMARY The Victorian School of Languages (VSL) Maltese Language classes and the Maltese Community Council of Victoria (MCCV) Education Committee are extremely concerned that the Maltese Language VCE will be axed from the VCE curriculum. This impending calamity is being caused by the decreasing number of students attending the VSL classes. The VSL has issued various correspondences to this effect. While the VSL is experiencing a decline in young students, the MCCV's enrolment is at maximum capacity. This is probably due to the fact that the MCCV is located in a suburb close to the city and within easy access to both the inner suburb students and eastern suburb residents and also that mid week classes might suit adult students better than a Saturday morning. The VSL can offer VCE Maltese; the MCCV can only offer basic and intermediate levels. This is due to the limited qualified teachers to teach Maltese at VCE level and the inability to find funds to pay salaried staff outside the VSL school hours. Both schools face similar issues in that qualified teachers are not easily available and that teaching resources are very limited. Both schools acknowledge that it is imperative that urgent assistance from the Maltese Government in displaying leadership and concrete assistance is necessary to assist the maintenance of the Maltese Language Education in Australia. The following requirements are submitted for consideration: DISTANCE EDUCATION ON LINE INTERACTIVE COURSE OFFERED BY THE MALTA UNIVERSITY OR OTHER AUTHORITIVE MALTESE LANGUAGE BODY. YEARLY SUBSIDY FOR TEACHERS HONORARIUM BY MALTESE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR AND DONATION OF MALTESE LANGUAGE WORKBOOKS FOR FOREIGNERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MALTESE AUSTRALIAN TEACHERS TO TRAIN IN MALTA EXCHANGE TEACHERS FROM MALTA ASSISTANCE WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MALTESE LANGUAGE LABORATORIES IN EACH STATE MALTESE LANGUAGE CLASSES Background The Maltese Community Council of Victoria Incorporated (MCCV) was established on Saturday 6 July 1958. Since it inception the Maltese Community has fostered cultural and language maintenance. One of the main objectives in the MCCV constitution is "To encourage and foster the development of the Maltese language and culture within the Australian context". Maltese Language has been taught throughout Victoria at centres where a large number of Maltese have taken up residence. For some years a diploma course was also held at Philip Institute of Technology (RMIT). The Victorian School of Languages commenced classes over seventy years ago with a handful of languages being taught. Over the years, more languages have been added and today over forty languages are taught, mostly on Saturday mornings. The VSL offers language classes to school age students who want to learn a language, be it their family's heritage language or a completely new one. The curriculum followed adheres to the Curriculum Standards Framework to ascertain that the standard of the languages taught is maintained across all languages. At the Saturday School of languages, Maltese was taught at Springvale, Deer Park and St Albans and the MCCV in Parkville. However, with the decline of teachers and subsequently students, classes taught by the Saturday School of Languages are now located in St Albans and Melton. These classes lead to VCE Maltese and cater mainly for children. An adult class at Braddon Park, Glen Waverly and two classes catering for both Adults and children are held at the MCCV in Parkville MCCV - Maltese Language Classes The MCCV Maltese Language Classes have been in operation for several years. Two classes are presently held at its Parkville Centre on Thursday evening starting at 6.00 pm. One class caters for beginners and one for intermediate students. Students are charged a nominal fee of $10 per term to cover some expenses. A fee review for 2008 is underway. At present the MCCV has two tutors Laura Schembri (Beginners) and Georgina Scillio (Intermediate). Efforts to find a third tutor to cater for advanced classes have to date proved futile. The probable reason is that no salary can be offered. Hence no classes can be offered to teach VCE classes. Past President Edwidge Borg acts as Coordinator and emergency tutor. Laura has been involved in the Education Committee for over four years. All members of this Education Committee act in a voluntary capacity. Enrolments Up to 2003 student enrolments were down to 7 students. Enrolments have steadily increased. The class enrolment for the second semester 2007 stands at a record 43 students. The classes cater for Adult students; however adult accompanied children are allowed to attend. The student age varies from 47 to 8 years. We have at present over 5 family groups attending. Each group consists of either parents accompanying young children or siblings attending classes together. The Beginner and Intermediate course run over one semester each. Classes are held one day a week every Thursday evening from 6.OOpm to 7.OOpm during Victorian school terms. Students progress from Beginners to Intermediate according to their ability. Students can repeat a class if they are so inclined to continue furthering their language verbal skills. Each class is composed of 3 students with various levels of understanding of the Maltese language. Student normally enrolling for the first time have negligible Maltese language writing skills. Students are encouraged to attend the Saturday School of languages (VSL) where Maltese is being taught up to VCE levels. Most students attending the MCCV classes are unable to attend VSL classes either because of personal commitments or because of distance from their place of residence or work. Syllabus & Resources Over these last few years the Education Committee has structured its syllabus towards teaching Maltese as a second language. This was to cater for the current needs of students attending the classes. Text books of this nature are limited. The emphasis has been on spoken Maltese. Dictionaries and modern text books were purchased from Malta at great expense to the MCCV. Other books were sourced from the MCCV Library. Donations of books were acquired from the Maltese Government. Professional Freight Service has also assisted with some freight costs. During a personal visit to Malta, Edwidge Borg established a contact with the Kunsill Nazzjonali ta' I-Ilsien Malti. At present not much progress to assist Maltese Language Education in Victoria has developed from these talks. The Victorian School of Languages - Maltese Language classes Classes are conducted mostly on a Saturday morning between 9.OOam and 12.20pm, at designated state schools throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria. Maltese is currently taught at Brimbank Secondary College, St Albans as well as in Gisborne. In St. Albans, there are currently about fifty students enrolled into four classes, namely grades 1-4 (Ms. Simone Cremona), 5-8 (Mrs. Miriam Vella) and 9-10 (Mrs. Roseanne Pirotta) as well as one VCE class comprising of yr 11 and 12 students (Mrs. Marvic Vella Buttigieg). In Gisborne, there is one class covering grades 1-6 (Ms. Sandra Bartolo). This class also includes some adult students. Unfortunately, the number of enrolled students has been falling over recent years, and the Maltese faculty is currently facing the regrettable prospect of losing VCE accreditation in the coming year. Efforts have been made by the teachers in conjunction with a number of different associations and the media to increase numbers, but this has not been very successful. Classes commence in February but enrolments are accepted throughout the year. The VSL is a state school and students' fees are heavily subsidised by the State Government (between $50 - $65 per year approx.). Over the years, the teachers at the school have endeavoured to maintain contact with current Maltese trends so as to pass on modern forms of the language. This has sometime proved to be difficult as the cost of mailing material over is quite prohibitive. In addition, we are still trying to establish links with the Maltese Faculty at the University of Malta as well as the Department of Education. Any assistance to this end would be greatly appreciated. Critical Issues The Community's main critical concerns about the Maltese Language development are: Falling numbers of young students to maintain VSL classes - Once VCE disappears, the incentive to learn Maltese will have an even greater impact on the number of young students attending Maltese language VSL classes. This multiplier effect on the diminishing number of students attending will cause VSL funding for classes to cease. Limited numbers of qualified Teachers/Tutors to commit to teach Maltese. Restricted resources to teach Maltese. Requirements Resources outlined below would greatly assist both the MCCV classes and the Saturday School of Language Classes. |
2007 MALTESE LANGUAGE CLASSES in Victoria MCCV Centre, Parkville Ph: 9387 8922 Registration Form for Maltese Classes (Printable Version) Click
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Form as Word Document File .. Printer friendly Maltese
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