Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a small island country located in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Sicily, Italy. The country is divided into three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Malta is known for its stunning coastline, pristine beaches, ancient ruins, and historic architecture. The capital city, Valletta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination due to its rich history and cultural significance. Malta has a diverse population and a rich cultural heritage that is influenced by its location and history. The country has been inhabited since prehistoric times and has been ruled by numerous foreign powers, including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and British. The blend of different cultures and influences can be seen in the country’s cuisine, language, music, and traditional festivals. Malta is also known for its warm climate, friendly people, and laid-back lifestyle, making it a popular destination for tourists and expatriates. Overall, Malta is a unique and enchanting country that offers visitors a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty.

The Maltese islands consist of Malta, Gozo, and Comino and two tiny uninhabited islands, strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. This handbook contains a brief description of secondary education in Malta. Following the introduction, section 1 provides an overview of the mission of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Malta's constitutional and legal framework, the state system of education, the student population, educational administration, and landmarks in the development of secondary education. Section 2 discusses the following issues: policy formation and educational innovation, educational finance, the varying educational tracks, absenteeism, curriculum, postsecondary education, evaluation and assessment, support services, school staff, the school year, salaries, and the European influence. Section 3 reports on efficiency and performance of the secondary education system; and the student population, student intake, and graduates at the University of Malta. The fourth section describes challenges to Malta's educational system, which include lifelong learning, information technology, national development and educational change, resource allocation, teacher shortage, decentralization, examinations and certification, and schools as community centers. Nineteen tables are included. (Contains 22 references.) (LMI)

Writing in History of European Ideas, Jan-Erik Lane from the University of Oslo noted that Frendo's 'excellent study' showed how Maltese politics had always been 'conflict ridden'. 'And, amazingly, the cleavages have a strong cultural undercurrent making the notion of a nation-state in the tiny island of Malta far from self-evident. What Frendo penetrates is a complex adversarial game where Malta repeatedly challenges imperial prerogatives, but at the same time there are sharp dissents between indigenous camps.' Party Politics is 'a lesson in the embryology of national idenitity, from which modern Malta has emerged as a small, independent, democratic, European state in the central Medfiterranean, capable of acting as interlocutor between north and south, and east and west', noted Barry Collet (University of Melbourne) in The Australian Journal of Political Science. Frendo's 'scholarly and lucid analysis', he added, shows that by virtue of its experience Malta 'has much to offer the internationl community in understanding nationalism, and in handling its consequences.' According to Frank Coppa in New York, writing for the Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism, in the emergence of party rivalry and national sentiment in Malta 'the historical and sociological dimensions complement the political one, as Frendo examines the interaction of society and politics.' Thus, Party Politics in a Fortress Colony 'is of interest not only as one of political conflict within the former British Empire and the development of a two-party system, but it is also important as a study of Mediterranean life in general, and the formation of national character in Malta in particular.' 'Here, at long last, was a book exploring the national reality with an absolute respect for the truth', observed Geoffrey Hull (University of Sydney) in The Sunday Times. 'None of the well-known flaws of history writing in Malta - tribal or national chauvinism, cultural cringes and politically motivated parti pris - has a place in Party Politics. It is so reassuring to discover in Henry Frendo the historian a truly European polymath who can foray intelligently and fruitfully into the related disciplines of literature, linguistics, anthropology, economics and sociology... a Maltese scholar with a sharp eye constantly on the rest of the world.' In Melita Historica Victor Mallia-Milanes from the University of Malta described it as 'a book of such high calibre' with 'a wealth of new insights' that could 'serve as a model both for undergraduates and for fellow scholars'.

This study traces and analyses the evolution of domestic space in Maltese vernacular and ‘polite’ houses from medieval to contemporary times.