FMLS Constitution
AGENDA - Meeting Aug. 2, 2008
Update May 2 2008
Update 1 April 2008
Update 3 June 2008
Update 4

KBURIJA GHAX GHAMILT IL-MATRIKOLA TAL-MALTI
IL-GHALA GHANDNA NIBZGHU GHALL-ISKEJJEL MALTIN FL-AWSTRALJA
Minn Jane Agius - Findon, South Australia

Jiena ddispacini hafna meta qrajt u smajt li l-awtoritajiet tal-edukazzjoini aktarx inehhu l-Malti mill-lista tal-lingwi li jigu offruti ghall-klassijiet tal-kbar Year 11 u Year 12 South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) ghax in-numru tal-istudenti li jaghmlu dan l-ezami naqas.
Jiena ftit snin ilu hadt l-opportunita' biex naghmel dan l-ezami tal-matrikola (SACE) fl-iskola tal-Malti t’Adelaide. Fil-klassi kellna tlett studenti ohra.
l-ewwelnett nirringrazzja lil Frank u Josie Scicluna, Anna Farrugia u Anna Agius li qed jahdmu minghajr hlas u jistinkaw biex imexxu din l-iskola. Mr.Scicluna huwa mhux biss il-Principal tal-iskola ghall dawn l-ahhar 22 sena imma wkoll l-Konslu Onorarju ta' Malta fis-South Australia. Huwa jipprepara l-istudenti l-kbar ghall-ezami tas-SACE.
Fl-iskola tal-Malti hemm erbgha klassijiet ghaz-zghar(tal-bidu), l-intermediate, ghas-SACE u ohra ghall-adulti. L-iskola taghna ilha tghati dan is-servizz mill-1982 gewwa ic-Centru Kulturali Malti 6 Jeanes Street Beverley.
Jiena wkoll ninsab ferhana li l-iskejjel Maltin tal-Awstralja ser jinghaqdu u jiffurmaw Federazzjoni Nazzjonali halli jahdmu flimkien u jtejbu t-taghlim tal-Malti. Fl-istess hin din il-Federazzjoni tkun tistgha titkellem dwar l-iskejjel Maltin mal-gvernijiet tal-Awstralja u ta' Malta biex isahhu u jghinu l-iskejjel halli dawn ikunu jistghu jipprovdu servizz edukattiv mill-ahjar u jhajru iktar studenti biex jattendu.
Qatt ma kont nobsor, li wara li spiccajt l-iskola f'Malta 25 senu ilu, kien se jkolli cans li nerga mmur nitghallem l-iskola. Dawk is-sentejn kienu ghalija ta' profitt edukattiv kbir u ksibt hafna nformazzjoni specjalment fuq l-istorja u l-kultura ta' Malta.
Jiena bniedma li nhobb nikteb u naqra proza u poezija bil-Malti u xi kultant anki nikteb poeziji. Nsemmi ftit mix-xoghol li ghamilt waqt li kont qed nipprepara ghall-ezami u li sibtu ferm interessanti. Jiena ghamilt progett fuq il-Hakma tal-Inglizi f'Malta 1898-1974 u ksibt informazzjoni sew mill-kotba mghtija lill-iskola mill-Kummissarju Malti kif ukoll minn fuq l-internet dwar meta Malta kienet mahkumha mill-Inglizi - mill-perijodu ta' wara t-tkeccija tal-Francizi sal-Jum l-Indipendenza.
Jiena tghallimt hafna wkoll fuq l-istorja tal-Kavallieri ta' Malta, fuq il-bini tal-Belt Valletta, il-monumenti storici li jinsabu madwar Malta, it-tempji neolitici u s'intendi l-izvilupp tal-lingwa u l-grammatika Maltija.
Ghamilna ukoll studju fuq l-istorja tal-emigranti li hallew Malta f'dan l-ahhar seklu, kif ukoll tkixxift fuq il-'White Australia Policy' li l-Gvern Awstraljan zamm ghal bosta snin u li anki effetwat lil bosta Maltin emigranti. Ghamilt studju fuq il-kultura u l-geografija ta' Malta u fuq id-drawwiet u l-wirt tal-Maltin tal-imghoddi. Kif qed taraw il-kors tal-Malti huwa interessanti u nformattiv hafna.
Gbart hafna informazzjoni fuq diversi suggetti u bix-xoghol li ghamilt irnexxili kemm jiena kif ukoll l-istudenti l-ohra rnexxilna nakkwistaw sew fl-iskola kif ukoll fl-ezami pubbliku marki mill-ahjar. Dan l-ezami jigi ppreparat mill-"Board of Studies" ta' Victoria.
L-istudju li ghamilna kien ta siewi kbir ghax anki uliedi ghad jirbhu minn dan it-taghlim. Ghalhekk naghmel kuragg u nheggeg il-familji Maltin mhux biss t' Adelaide imma tal-Awstralja kollha biex jibqu jissaportjaw lill-iskejjel Maltin halli nibqghu nzommu hajjin l-Ilsien Malti u l-kultura Maltija u l-istorja sabiha ta' Malta. Ikun dnub jekk nitilfu l-lingwa taghna ghax la darba l-lingwa taghna tispicca u tmut ikun ferm difficli biex nergghu ntuha l-hajja.
Ghalhekk naghmel appell kbir biex ninghaqdu u nghatu kull support lill-Iskejjel Maltin u nibghatu lill-uliedna biex jitghallmu l-lingwa taghna. Jiena ghandi erbgha t'it-tfal u kollha attendew l-iskola taghna u dejjem hadu hafna taghlim u hargu sodisfatti.
Nirringrazzja ukoll lis-Sur Lino Vella, l-editur ta' THE MALTESE HERALD, L-unika gazzeta Maltija fl-Awtsralja, ghall-ghajnuna li dejjem tagha lill-iskola taghna. Fl-istudju taghna wzajna hafna mill-artikli li dehru fuq din il-gazzetta, specjalment dwar il-lingwa u l-kultura Maltija.
  MALTESE LANGUAGE WILL BE AXED - IT'S OUR LANGUAGE - LET'S DEFEND IT









23 May 2008
Mr Frank Scicluna Principal
Maltese Language School of Adelaide
6 Jeanes Street BEVERLEY SA 5009

Dear Mr Scicluna

Re: The impact of small candidatures on the provision of Maltese at Year 12 level

The Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA) participates with other curriculum and assessment authorities across Australia in the delivery and assessment of many language subjects through the Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL) Project.
This collaboration enables the national provision of small candidature language subjects for study at Year 11 and Year 12 that can be accredited towards the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE).
Authorities involved in the CCAFL program share the costs for curriculum development and the setting, vetting and marking of examinations and the collaboration of experts from various States and Territories. This enables the provision of an important service to language communities by making language courses available at Year 11 and Year 12 that may otherwise be unsustainable.
The provision of language subjects of very low candidature is, however, resource intensive. The Boards of Studies and curriculum and assessment authorities across Australia have decided that three criteria need to be met to ensure the continued provision of a language at SACE level. One of these criteria states that where the national candidature of a nationally assessed language falls below a total of 15 students, for each of 3 consecutive years, the language subject will be suspended until such time as there is evidence that projected student numbers have risen significantly.
I am writing to you to inform you that the CCAFL National Reference Group has identified Maltese as a subject that is at risk of suspension due to its very small candidature in 2007. Should the final 2008 and 2009 candidature in Maltese also fall below 15 students nationally, Maltese will be suspended following the 2011 SACE examination. The suspension of a language allows students to complete studies currently being undertaken in the SACE.
If Maltese was suspended, it would not be offered as a language subject from January 2012, and the following would apply:
2010 Last year for Year 11 enrolments in Maltese 2011 Maltese not offered at Year 11
Last year for Year 12 enrolments and Year 12 examination for Maltese 2012 Maltese not available as a SACS course Students will not be able to repeat Maltese at Year 12.
If Maltese is suspended through this process, at some later time the syllabus for Maltese may be reactivated if documented evidence can be provided to the SSABSA of:
(a) a projected candidature nationally for a minimum of 3 consecutive years, of at least 15 students at Year 12 level;
(b) sufficient subject and language expertise available nationally to provide:
curriculum design and development;
examination setting, vetting and marking teams, including a Chief Examiner, in addition to suitably qualified teachers of Maltese at Year 12 level
(c) tertiary expertise available to support the teaching and assessment of the language
(d) subject at SACE level.
Should there be a school with students wishing to study Maltese after the suspension date, schools and community members are advised that students could still study it towards the SACE through subjects such as Community Studies, Extension Studies, and Integrated Learning. Extension Studies and Integrated Learning are classified by the universities as Higher Education Selection Subjects (HESS) General, and thus would count towards the calculation of a tertiary entrance rank (TER). Through enrolment in one or both of these subjects, students can continue their study of aspects of the language of their choice.
I would like to acknowledge the contribution made by the Maltese community and others in supporting the study of Maltese language across Australia. I hope the information offered here will assist you to understand the current situation and the possibilities for the future.
If you require more advice about this matter, please contact Royston Lance, Curriculum and Assessment Officer for Languages, telephone 8372 7492 (email [email protected] )
Yours sincerely
Paul Kilvert Chief Executive


MALTESE LANGUAGE WILL BE AXED - WHO CARES?
As it was predicted several years ago, (see The Maltese Herald 1996) the time has arrived when the Maltese community in Australia is facing with a massive dilemma we were informed (see above) that our Language (Maltese) because of a small candidature will be axed and to save few dollars our education authorities will be deleted Maltese from the list of languages offered to senior classes Years 11 and 12 as a VCE/HSC/SACE subject. This will eventuate if the projected number of students undertaking Maltese nationally will not be 15 or over in the years to come.

Why we strongly believe that the Australian Government should retain Maltese as a school subject in its own right:
... Maltese is one of the official languages of the European Union
... Although Malta is one of the smallest nations (population 390 000) it has its own unique language - much larger countries borrow their language from others countries.
... Maltese is the only Semitic language written in Roman alphabet.
... The Maltese language survived and flourished in spite of Malta, for over a thousand years, was dominated by other nations and empires.
... Maltese has been used in Malta for over a thousand years and it is still the official language of Malta.
... Maltese is not only spoken in Malta but by many thousands of Maltese in many parts of the world wherever the Maltese migrated to in these last decades - Australia, England, Canada, United States - just to mention a few
... If the Government is serious about preserving community languages in Australia, the government should do its utmost to help the community and its language schools to retain the language and culture. It should provide special funds to the Maltese language schools in Australia to assist them in providing the best quality language education to our younger generation.
... Maltese is the only link between the older and younger generations. Most Maltese migrated to Australia in the fifties, sixties and seventies and now they are senior citizens and most of them reverted back to the mother language and they can only communicate in Maltese.
... The Maltese migrants in these last 50-60 years contributed immensely to the development of the Australian nation in every state and territory.
... Many Maltese excelled in diverse areas such as medicine, law, education, politics, art, music, religion etc..
... A 75 year old female from Wentworthville NSW said "My son is an accountant, and he tells me why you didn't teach me Maltese? I tell him son, you use to tell me they call you wog at school and you cried because your Mum and Dad looked different and spoke funny. I tried my son." (The Ageing Maltese L. Dimech 1992)
... There are Maltese language schools in ACT, NSW (3 schools), Victoria, South Australia and Mackay Queensland and a new school is opening in Western Australia - all teachers give their time and expertise voluntarily and without any financial remuneration.
... A Maltese Federation of Maltese Schools is being formed in Australia to safeguard the retention of our language in this continent. All Maltese schools will be united and will form a solid protection body for the preservation of the Maltese language in Australia.
... The government is allocating millions of dollars to preserve aboriginal languages since hundreds of aboriginal languages have been lost forever in these last two hundred years.
... The Maltese community has its own Maltese/English weekly newspaper The Maltese Herald and dozens of Maltese programs on several stations broadcasting around the country.
... We will never permit to have Maltese as one of the dead languages in Australia. Maltese has its uniqueness, beauty and history.
... The Maltese community across Australia is proud of its language and will defend it to the very end. ... The Maltese government is serious in assisting the Maltese community in Australia to retain the Maltese language.
... If you visit Maltese clubs, restaurants, old peoples homes, thousands of Maltese home you will be able to hear the Maltese language spoken and used everyday.
... The Maltese language is very rich in music, arts, literature, medicine, law, religion etc. Malta has one of the best education systems in the world. Malta has one of the oldest universities in the world.
... Over a million and half tourists (including those from Australia) visit the Malta every year and are exposed to the Maltese language while holidaying on the island.
... Maltese is still alive and instead of choking it forever we are determined to do our utmost to pass this treasure to our children and children's children.
Frank L Scicluna
National Convenor
FEDERATION OF MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
FEDERAZZJONI TAL-ISKEJJEL MALTIN
1 June 2008

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