This is the fourth volume of the history of the educational effort by the Jesuit fathers in Malta. Unfortunately, I do not have the first three volumes of this series so I can only speak about this volume.

Sadly the author died on 10 April 2015, that is a few years after the publication of this book. This volume covers a period of 42 years which the author subdivides into eight parts describing what happened under eight successive rectors - the author doing two terms. It must have been rather difficult for him to speak about himself in the third person and keep the required objectivity.

Apart from the Church schools saga, about which I write after this paragraph, the book also describes the setting up of the co-educational Sixth Form, the formation of the Parent-Teacher Association, the ever-energetic Cylo, the work of the Old Aloysians Association, the history of the College Scouts and the expansion of the College with the new premises for the Sixth Form as well as the Sports Complex together with the primary section after the 1984 battle for Church schools.

The author was one of the protagonists of the Church schools saga and the section about this battle is one of the best accounts I have read; the inside story if I can call it so.

After so many years, the dramatic events of 1984 seem light years away from our times. Today we find it hard to understand why a government had to go to such lengths to force Church schools to do away with fees. One has to read this long chapter to understand the dogged defence by the Church schools faced with an implacable government.

We maybe remember the attack on the Archbishop's Curia by thugs from the Dockyard but that was only one episode out of many.

Government wanted to take over the Church schools and a Socialist minister was assigned to every school. Police were sent to "protect" the school from entry by teachers and students alike.

The schools reacted by putting up a strenuous defence with mass meetings, demonstrations and also some creative moves. These the author ascribes to the fertile brain of Michael Mallia, recently deceased, who has not been adequately recognised for his major role in creating a telephone bush network to inform parents and above all for home teaching, which was his brainchild. The former prime minister, Joseph Muscat, once told me his first day at St Aloysius was running from one house to another in this scheme, (later came Form IIC in the same class as Franco Debono).

Not one of the protagonists, on the part of the government has ever, to my mind, apologised for this non-sensical saga, least of all Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, Minister for Education in those days, although he may have been obeying the diktats by Dom Mintoff, who resigned two months later.

There is a delightful snippet; buried away as a footnote. This regards the flag of Malta, which had been raised at midnight on 21 September 1964 at the Independence Arena. Somehow and rather curiously this flag was handed over to the St Aloysius Scout troop "in recognition of the effort made by our scouts in acting as ushers to the personalities attending the celebration".

The footnote says: "What later became of this Maltese flag with the George Cross is quite interesting. From 1964 to 1985 successive rectors kept it exhibited in a showcase in the College parlour. However, on several occasions members of the Nationalist Party asked to have it, claiming that it was their party which brought Independence to Malta. But John Mizzi (scout leader, aka Cubby) refused to hand it over to a political party. In the late 1970s the rector Fr A. Azzopardi for security reasons removed the flag and kept it in his own private room. It was only in 1988 that Mr Richard Cachia Caruana, the Prime Minister's Advisor, suggested to Mr John Mizzi that it would be more proper for the flag which had been hoisted on Independence night be kept exhibited in a prominent national place. Mr Mizzi agreed, and handed it over to Mr Cachia Caruana to be exposed in the prominent place, in the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr Mizzi later regretted having given the flag to the Government authorities as its whereabouts remain a mystery."