Education and Maltese language usage among persons of Maltese backgroundAuthor: Maurice Cauchi ConclusionsThe Maltese community in Australia is continuing to grow larger, even though the first generation has diminished by about 1 0% over the past 1 0 years. In the current study it is encouraging to see a greater degree of participation in education, with increasing retention rates at Yr 12 and tertiary level, particularly among females. The interest in trades qualifications among males remains as strong in the second generation as in the first. With regard to language retention, it is encouraging to see that, in spite of the high intermarriage rate, the majority of second generation Maltese persons can understand Maltese, even though they may not be able to speak it well, and certainly would be excluded by a census question which asks, "What language is spoken at home?" Even in the third generation we can see that more than a thirdd of the children can understand some Maltese. To a large extent this would be the result of encouragement by grandparents who speak Maltese to their grandchildren. References Birrel, B. & Khoo, S-E. (1995) The Second Generation in Australia: Educational and Occupational Characteristics. Canberra, Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and population Research. Cahill, D. (1996) Immigration and Schooling in the 1990s. Canberra, Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research-Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Cauchi, M.N. (1990) Maltese Migrants in Australia. Melbourne, Maltese Community Council of Victoria. Clyne, M. (1982) Multilingual Australia: Melbourne, River Seine Publications. Clyne, M. (1991) Community Languages: The Australian Experience. Melbourne, Cambridge University Press. Kipp S., Clyne M. & Pauwels, A. (1995) Immigration and Australia's Language Resources. Canberra, Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research. Martin, J. & Mead, P. (1979) The Educational Experience of Sydney High School Students, Canberra, AGPS. Mead, P. (1983) The Educational Experience of Sydney High School Students, Report No. 3. Canberra, AGPS. Sultana, R. (1994) 'Let me dream: transforming educational futures - some comments on the education of Maltese background students in Australia!, Occasional Paper No. 1. Melbourne, Faculty of Arts, Victoria University of Technology. Taft, R. & Cahill, D. (1978) Initial adjustment to Schooling of Immigrant Children. Canberra, AGPS. Terry, L., Borland, H. and Adams, R. (1993) 'To learn more than I have...': The Educational Aspirations and Experiences of the Maltese in Melbourne, Melbourne. Victoria University of Technology. Source: Maltese Background Youth - Editors Cauchi M, Borland H, Adams R, 1999, [Europe Australia Institute], p 1
   
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