The Maltese teacher corps : from humble beginnings to unionisation – some observations

Abstract

The teacher corps in Malta has originated from very humble beginnings. In fact one cannot speak of a corps before the British period and even then, it is only from the late 1830s that the semblance of a formal teacher body can somehow be discerned. Yet, as time elapsed and teachers became more and more aware of their particular position, the situation began to gradually evolve. This process finally resulted in the setting up of the Malta Union of Teachers (M.U.T.) in the early years of the twentieth century. Teachers in Malta could now speak of one unified body as the M.U.T. gave the teaching corps protection, identity and the necessary focus for the corps’ consolidation and professionalisation