The Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi and Mrs Catherine Gonzi visited Australia from the 28 July to 12 August 2007.  During his visit, the Prime Minister met members of the Maltese Community in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. 

The Prime Minister pledged action to keep Maltese language alive in Australia. The Prime Minister was responding to remarks made by the honorary consul in Adelaide Frank L Scicluna who warned that future migrant generations would lose their identity if they did not know the language.

Students were not lacking, he said, but there were few teachers available and he hopes the government will be able to provide support from Malta as well as providing other forms of "physical" assistance. The Dr. Gonzi stated that his Government is establishing a special unit to look into the teaching of Maltese abroad.

A National Conference for teachers and administrators of Maltese schools in Australia is being held to consolidate what they have achieved so far in this important educational field of teaching and learning the Maltese language and culture to our future generations.

This conference is being held in Canberra on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October 2007.

L-EWWEL KONFERENZA NAZZJONALI TAL-GHALLIEMA TAL-MALTI FL’AWSTRALJA

6 U 7 T’OTTOBRU 2007

Fil-bidu tax-xahar id-diehel ser naraw tinkiteb pagna ohra sabiha fl-istorja tal-emigrazzjoni tal-Maltin fl-Awstralja.  Ser tinzamm l-ewwel laqgha nazzjonali ghal dawk li jaghllmu l-Malti u  l-amministarturi li jmexxu dawn l-iskejjel.

Din il-konferenza ser ssir bil-ghajnuna tal-Kummissarju Gholi ta’ Malta l-E.T. Francis Tabone go Kanberra is-Sibt 6 u l-Hadd 7 t’Ottubru  Il-Koordinatur tal-konferenza huwa Frank Scicluna minn Adelaide li huwa wkoll il-principal tal-Iskola tal-Malti t’Adelaide u l-Konslu Onorarju ta’ Malta fis-South Australia.

Matul il-konerenza ghandu jsir hafna xoghol u taghlim.  Huwa mifhum li wahda mir-risoluzzjojiet li ser jittiehdu ser tkun il-formazzjoni ta’ Federazjoni tal-Ghalliema u Amministraturi tal-Iskejjel tal-Malti.  Din il-Konferenza skorika  ghadha l-appogg tal-Prim Ministru ta’ Malta, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, li zar l-emigranti  f”Awwissu li ghadda.  Il-Prim Ministru tant kien impressjonat b’dak li qed isir fiz-zamma tal-Ilsien u l-Kultura Maltin go l’Awstralja li wieghed li ser iwaqqaf ‘unit’ li jispecjalizza fit-taghlim tal-Malti maghllem barra minn Malta.

Huwa mahsub ukoll li Prim Ministru ghandu jibghat messagg li ser jigi moqri jew muri matul l-Konferenza.  Gejna nfurmati ukoll li rapprezentanti minn diversi Stati ser jippartecipaw f’din il-Konferenza. Dawk l-Istati huma South Australia, Queensland (Makay u Brisbane) Western Australia, New South Wales u Victoria u rapprezentanti minn New Zealand.

Matul il-laqgha l-ghalliema ser jiehdu sehem attiv f’diversi ‘workshops’ li jiffukaw fuq il-metodologija efficjenti li huma juzaw u biex jibnu bazi ghall-‘curriculum’ speciku u addatat ghall-istudenti li qed jitaghllmu l-Malti bhala t-tieni lingwa. L-ghalliema jkollom ukoll opportunita’ li jaqsmu flimkien idejat pratticii, rizorsi li juzaw u l-uzu tat-teknologija fit-twettiq tal-lezzjonijiet fil-klassijiet taghhom.  Huma se jfasslu pjan kif jistghu jahdmu flimkien u jibnu iktar komunikazzjoni, kooperazzjoni u koordinazzjoni bejnietom..