Royal Naval School Tal-Handaq

The Royal Naval School Tal Handaq was a school for children of personnel of the British Armed Forces posted to Malta between January 1947 and July 1978. Staffed partially by Royal Naval personnel the school was also used by children of personnel of the Military of the United States in the 1950s. When first occupied as a school in 1947 only the buildings in the southern and central area of the present day school had been built. The remaining buildings were constructed in the early/mid 1950s, initially with the objective of supporting a complement of some 800 British Forces pupils. The school was co-educational with similar numbers of boys and girls. It was also both a Secondary Grammar and a Secondary Modern school. Numbers at the school steadily increased until by 1960 the school held over 1000 pupils. Even so, class size was still not excessive with a typical class size of 25 pupils in 1960.

The school re-opened as a Junior Lyceum in September 1981 under the name of Liceo M. A. Vassalli. In 2006, new building began on completion of which the old buildings will be demolished."'

Alternative spellings

The following spelling of Tal-Handaq may be found on present day official documents.

* Tal-Ħandaq (link to related Wikipedia entry)
* Tal-Handaq
* Tal Handaq

The following Anglicised spelling may occasionally be found on internal documents issued during the Royal Naval School period (refer: Etymology section).

* Tal-Handak
* Tal Handak

Etymology

Tal Handak is the British phonetic spelling of the Maltese industrial area "Tal Handaq" located in the district of Qormi.

In the Maltese written language the letter Q is silent. However it is not uncommon for British people to incorrectly pronounce Maltese words containing the silent Q as if it were an English word. For example, Qormi (pronounced 'Ormi) is is sometimes wrongly pronounce "Kwormi" by British people unfamiliar with the written Maltese language. Similarly Tal Handaq (pronounced Tal Handa') was often pronounced Tal HandaK by British Forces personnel.

Between the years 1947 to 1978 the Royal Naval Secondary School for British Forces children was located at Tal Handaq and a number of printed documents relating to the school employed the more comfortable (to the British) spelling of Tal Handak.

Photo gallery

External links

* [http://www.tal-handaq.co.uk Site with photo gallery of the school grounds and buildings] * with over 450 photos plus 360 degree, rotating panoramas.
* [http://www.tal-handaq.freeserve.co.uk/ Tal Handaq Reunion Association]
* [http://www.tal-handaq.freeserve.co.uk/history.htm History as written by former headmaster, Captain M.F. Law]
* [http://www.talhandaqnostalgia.org Photographic memories of the school.1947 - 1978.]

References

* Captain M.F. Law. "The History of The Royal Naval School Tal-Handaq". Available to be read on-line at: [http://www.tal-handaq.freeserve.co.uk/history.htm History of The Royal Naval School Tal-Handaq] .