Malta

Abstract

Adult education is indeed an amorphous field and one encounters great difficulty in trying to establish its parameters. Different people attribute different meanings to it. There have been several Maltese agencies claiming to engage in adult educational activities, for the term'adult education' has gained currency in Maltese educational debates. When used by those who defend the current system of educational provision, it serves as an indicator of the Maltese educational system's 'coming of age'. Alternatively, when used by the system's detractors, it serves to indicate the standard from which we are supposed to be light years away. Adult education is used as a powerful indicator of the sort of' sophisticated' educational provision believed to exist in countries (mainly European or North American) which, given our generally unproblematised eurocentric mindset, we seek to emulate. Despite the relatively recent popularity of the concept of adult education, there have been important developments, in this sector of educational provision, which can be traced back to the second half of the previous century. This overview starts with an identification of some of these developments.