ELEVEN YEARS OF ACTIVITIES
2000-2011
Anton Quintano (Secretary)
Foundation
The Geography Teachers Association (Malta) was founded on 28 February 2000 at a meeting for all Geography and Primary teachers in Malta that was held at the Guidance and Counseling Centre of the Education Division, Granaries Square, Floriana. Thirty-two members joined the newly founded non-governmental organisation on that first meeting. The statute that was drafted by the ad hoc organising committee was largely approved and a first committee was elected to further the aims of the Society by organising suitable activities. That first meeting was addressed by Dr Joseph Mangani, then Education Officer, Geography, as well as by Miss Mary Vella and Mr Carmel Galea Scannura, both Directors of Education, who promised support and encouraged the founding members. Geography and primary school teachers, ex-teachers of Geography, student-teachers or lecturers of Geography at university may join as full members. Any other person who is interested in Geography may join as associate member. The main aims of the association are to organise activities for the further professional development of teachers of Geography and to foster general interest in the subject.
Committee meetings
According to the statute an Annual General Meeting must be held before the end of April, and the committee is elected for a two year term in a Bi-Annual General Meeting. Dr Joseph Mangani as President, Mr Avertano Rolé as Vice-President, Anton Quintano as Secretary, Rita DeBattista as Treasurer and Edward Gilson as Vice Secretary have kept their posts throughout the ten years. Nine other members served in the committee one time or another. The committee was always very active and met regularly for a total one hundred and twenty-two times till August 2011, that is once every five weeks on average, mostly at the Curriculum Centre at Floriana, with the kind permission of the Directors of Curriculum.
International Affiliation and Participation
The GTA is in contact with the European network of Geography teachers associations – Eurogeo. To date three of our members have attended conferences organised by Eurogeo. In 2001 Edward Gilson took part in the conference on I.T. in Europe: I.T. supporting the teachers of European citizenship through Geography held at Liverpool, England. In 2003 Moira Buttigieg participated in the conference held at Bled, Slovenia about Geographical Information in a Changing Europe. Two years later Rosette Thomas was sent by the society to Torun in Poland for the conference Changing horizons in Geography. Once again the Department of Curriculum management and e-Learning helped the society by sponsoring the participants. It is unfortunate that such financial support was no longer forthcoming since 2005.
Annual General Meetings and Lectures
Since the Geography Education Officer and Heads of Department organise In-Service Training Courses regularly, the GTA bases its activities on excursions in the field. However, lectures are still organised, mostly in conjunction with the AGMs. The following were lectures organised by the Society:
| Date | Lecturer | Lecture title |
| 16 Feb 2001 | Eng. Robert Farrugia | Wind Energy in Malta |
| 22 Feb 2002 | Peter Gatt | Geology of the Maltese Islands |
| 28 Feb 2003 | Ernest Azzopardi | Integrated Water Management in Malta |
| 22 May 2003 | Albert Ganado | Old Maps of Malta |
| 27 Feb 2004 | Louis Cassar | Dune Morphology |
| 25 Feb 2005 | Keith Buhagiar | Cave dwellings in Malta |
| 23 Feb 2006 | Sandro Lanfranco | Dune studies at the Maremma |
| 2 Feb 2007 | Vincent Caruana | Poverty and environment in developing countries |
| 8 Feb 2008 | Sharon Rolé | e-learning |
| 13 Feb 2009 | Eng. Marco Cremona | Problem of Water Supply in Malta |
| 18 Mar 2009 | Gordon Knox | Problem of Water Supply in Malta |
| 30 Apr 2010 | Paul Pace | The Copenhagen WSSC Conference |
| 24 Nov 2010 | Eng. Marco Cremona | Experience Everest |
| 29 Apr 2011 | Tony Pace | Wied Hanzir (Gozo) archaeological excavations |
Publications
Another regular contribution by the association has been the circulation of a set of papers concerning the content and methodology of Geography teaching. These resource papers are circulated to members at each AGM. From 2002 to 2006 these articles were circulated in photocopied and bound form, but since 2007 they have been issued in CD or DVD format. To date eight such collections have been circulated including thirty-seven different original articles by highly qualified teachers and lecturers of Geography or associated disciplines, and they have always been highly popular with Geography teachers. Edward Gilson, a committee member, has published three interactive CD Roms covering the Social Studies Primary School syllabus.
Excursions
As has already been mentioned above, excursions have been the mainstay of our Association’s activities. Since its inception August 2011, the committee has organised no less than fifty-five excursions. Teachers of Geography have shown great dedication by attending these excursions mostly on Sunday afternoons that is outside school hours. The atmosphere is relaxed and familiar. The general public also participates regularly. The following is a chronological list in table form of all the excursions, including active participant.
| Date | Place | Active participant |
| 7 May 2000 | Hofret ir-Rizz | Josianne Vassallo |
| 26 Nov 00 | Lower Ras il-Qammieh | Tano Rolé |
| 16 Feb 01 | Energy Technology Institute (M`Xlokk) | Robert Farrugia |
| 1 Apr 01 | Wied Qirda | Edwin Lanfranco |
| 27 May 01 | Ghar il-Kbir | Dr Paul Mangani |
| 9 Dec 01 | Wied tas-Santi | Tano Rolé |
| 14 Apr 02 | Argotti Botanic Gardens | Joseph Buhagiar |
| 2 Jun 02 | Xemxija garrigue and archaeology | Joseph Buhagiar /Fr Eugene Teuma |
| 4 Aug 02 | Limestone Heritage | Emanuel Baldacchino |
| 17 Nov 02 | Wied Liemu | Anton Quintano |
| 15 Dec 02 | Il-Maqluba | Tano Rolé |
| 25 Apr 03 | WSC Luqa and ta’ Kandja | WSC personnel |
| 4 Jul 03 | Ghar Dalam | Dr Charles Galea Bonavia |
| 26 Nov 03 | National Library old atlases | Maroma Camilleri |
| 14 dec 03 | Fomm ir-Rih / Ra sir-Raheb | John J. Agius |
| 8 Feb 04 | Il-Hofriet (Island and Cyclops Bays) | Peter Gatt |
| 6 Jun 04 | Ghar tal-Latmija / Torri l-Ahmar | Anton Quintano /Tano Rolé / Jay Jones |
| 12 Jul 04 | MEPA | Carol Agius |
| 19 Dec 04 | Tax-Xarolla Windmill | George Sammut |
| 20 Mar 05 | Afforestation Project Ahrax | Antoine Gatt |
| 24 Apr 05 | Is-Simblija trogloditic village | Keith Buhagiar |
| 29 May 05 | Il-Munqar, Zurrieq | Tano Rolé |
| 6 Nov 05 | Olive Groves and press Fawwara | Joseph Borg |
| 11 Dec 05 | Ix-Xaghra l-Hamra, Manikata | Edwin Lanfranco |
| 29 Jan 06 | Wied il-Ghasel, Mosta | Dr Joseph Borg |
| 23 Apr 06 | Wied il-Kbir, Qormi | Dr Joseph Borg |
| 21 May 06 | Xghajra coast | Dr Joseph Mangani |
| 26 Jul 06 | Filfla | Tano Rolé |
| 26 Nov 06 | Wied Għollieqa Nature Reserve | Analise Falzon |
| 10 Dec 06 | Ghadira Nature Reserve | Ray Vella |
| 4 Mar 07 | Migra l-Ferha / Ras id-Dawwara | Tano Rolé |
| 15 Apr 07 | Ghadira ta’ Sarraflu / Hondoq ir-Rummien (Gozo) | Dr Joseph Mangani |
| 20 May 07 | Mtahleb – Bahrija clay slopes | Tano Rolé |
| 24 Jun 07 | Comino Tower | Dr Stephen Spiteri |
| 9 Dec 07 | Ir-Ramla tat-Torri l-Abjad | Tano Rolé |
| 16 Mar 08 | Simar Nature Reserve (SPB) | David Attard |
| 11 May 08 | Underground Flour Mill, Mistra | Oliver Mallia |
| 15 Jul 08 | Round Gozo by boat | |
| 26 Oct 08 | Fort St Elmo | Anton Quintano |
| 16 Nov 08 | Selmun | Paul Borg |
| 14 Dec 08 | Ghar Lapsi / Maghlaq Fault | Tano Rolé |
| 8 Feb 09 | Bingemma | Dr Joseph Borg |
| 29 Mar 09 | Wied is-Sewda | Dr Joseph Borg |
| 7 Jul 09 | St Pauls Bay Fish Farm | Joseph Azzopardi |
| 5 Oct 09 | Wied Bassasa and Wied Fulija | Tano Rolé |
| 13 Dec 09 | Wied tal-Imgiebah | Paul Borg |
| 28 Dec 09 | Arkivji Nazzjonali – Sptar Santu Spirtu | Joseph Amodio |
| 28 Feb 10 | Wied Żnubier u Moqbol | Tano Role’ |
| 9 May 10 | Xagħra and Xlendi | Dr Joseph Mangani |
| 26 Jun 10 | Għajn Tuffieħa GAIA foundation | Daniela Agius |
| 15 Jul 10 | Filfla | Tano Role’ |
| 12 Dec 10 | Frate Jacoba cultivations | Franciscan Minor Frairs |
| 30 Jan 11 | Xrobb l-Għaġin Park | Annalise Falzon |
| 6 Mar 11 | Majjistral Park | Annalise Falzon |
| 17 Apr 11 | Wied Qannotta | Joseph Gauci |
The average participation is about thirty persons for every excursion. The feedback by the teachers was invariably positive. These activities had the desired effect in that many teachers later found time to accompany their own students to these places for fieldwork excursions organised by their respective schools.
Conclusion
Many voluntary societies such as the Geography Teachers Association have had a short life span because they were dependent on a few active members who could not stay on for good. Our association includes more than fifty paid members. It also includes hard working committee members that sacrifice their own time and energy to organise activities to further the aims of the society and be of service to teachers, students and the discipline of geography itself. Their greatest satisfaction would be to see more teachers of geography participating in these activities and hand down to a younger generation of leaders a Society that is still very vibrant with activity and achievement.