L-effetti tal-ġlidiet politiko-reliġjużi fuq l-edukazzjoni b'mod speċjali t-tagħlim tar-reliġjon

Abstract

The theme of this dissertation is mainly concerned about the effects the disputes that occurred between 1955 and 1987, that involved the Maltese Government and the Church as protagonists, had on the education in general and on the teaching of Religion in particular. It also deals with the effects these disputes had on teachers, and especially students that lived during this period. The research took the form of consultations to primary and secondary sources to aid in building the exact facts as occurred in that period, and thus providing a better understanding of the social consequences these events created. Through interviews conducted with former teachers, retired Heads, former Ministers of Education, members of the clergy and students who lived in the period, the researchers were able to collect the information necessary, such as personal experiences and other information which was not available in books and documents consulted earlier. This dissertation is divided mainly into five chapters. Chapter one describes briefly the aim and reasons behind the research. It also outlines the main sections to be found in the dissertation. Chapter two consists of the selection of information extracted from primary and secondary sources regarding the main events which took place in the political-religious disputes between 1955 and 1987. Chapter three outlines in detail the steps and methods adopted in the collection of data. Chapter four consists of a detailed analysis of the selected data which was extracted from interviews. Chapter five outlines the main points which were extracted from the data analysis. The main conclusions derived include: the effects the State-Church disputes had on the children's daily lives within their families and at school; the discrimination suffered by the students and teachers alike due their political tendencies; the relationships between students themselves and with their teachers; the people's attitudes towards the authorities (State and Church), which changed dramatically after the disputes; and that religious belief is part of an individual's formation and thus cannot be separated from education. Finally, the thesis outlines the various limitations which were encountered during collection of data and briefly highlights certain recommendations for future research for university students who wish to carry out a research similar to this dissertation.