This book does not look at the teachers' drive towards their aspirations solely through a historical or chronological recounting of the stages leading to 1919. The teachers' occupation is examined through an analysis of the conditions of work, the methods of recruitment, appointment and classification, teacher training and the development of salaries, all of which help the reader to conceive a clearer picture of what teachers went through while at their daily work within schools. It may also be surprising to note that certain problems concerning teachers evident in the past, are still with us, to some extent or other, even today. The study also entails a detailed enquiry of 19th and early 20th century educational thought about the teachers' role and duties in schools. It is revealing how adjourned Maltese thinkers were with regards to the scope and objectives of education in general and the function of the teacher in particular.