On Lorenzo Manché’s 100th death anniversary,
Louis Borg Manché and
Edwin Borg Manché conclude a three-part series on the life and achievements of the ophthalmologist, educator and philanthropist.
This is the final article in a three-part series. Read part one and part two.
Role of Maltese in education
During the 19th century there was considerable public debate in Malta on the issue of the role that the Maltese language should play in education. Having a keen interest in education, Lorenzo Manché provided significant input to two major public reviews. The first was to Royal Commissioner Sir Patrick Joseph Keenan, who was sent to Malta in 1878 to investigate reforms to the educational system of the island, and the second, two decades later, to the Select Committee of the Council of Government set up in 1897 to look into the organisation of the Department of Education.
This is part two in a three-part series. Read part one.
Malta in the 19th century was a vastly different place compared to today. Housing was extremely basic and sanitary conditions appalling. In 1839, most of the population slept on straw and covered themselves with rags and sacks. There were no sewers or mains water supply. Most houses had no bathroom, no ventilation and few windows.
By 1851, personal hygiene standards were still incredibly low with most people continuing to be highly reluctant to wash. Such conditions inevitably facilitated the spread of diseases, some deadly, claiming the lives of almost half of the infants born every year.