The National Archives of Malta recently shared a remarkable historical photo on their Facebook page, marking the 90th anniversary of a major educational milestone: the publication of the first map of Malta in the Maltese language in 1935.

Created for use in Government schools, this pioneering map was likely the work of British educator Cyril Midgley, with the Maltese translation by Ġanni Cilia, who was then headmaster at the Mġarr primary school. This collaboration reflected early efforts to integrate the Maltese language into formal education, just five years after Maltese was recognised as an official language in 1930.

Midgley and Cilia continued to shape geography education in Malta through their co-authored books, Tagħlim fuq id-dinja. L-Ewwel Ktieb (Learning about the Earth. Book One) and X’nitgħallmu mill-Ġeografija; l-Artijiet tal-Mediterran. It-Tieni Ktieb (What We Learn from Geography and the Mediterranean Lands. Book Two). These works introduced young learners to global geography through the lens of their native language, highlighting both knowledge and national identity.

This photo, posted by the National Archives, offers a glimpse into Malta’s evolving educational heritage, where language, geography, and identity intersected.

What a journey!