Too Much Geelong

Difficulties of Nauru Technical Education Plan

IN Nauru, they do not think much of the “Geelong plan”—under which a select dozen oi Nauru’s youth have been given technical education under the direction of Mr. H. E. Hurst, of Geelong, Victoria.

The idea of providing technical educa tion for the young islanders is not criticised. It has cost the Nauruan Ad ministration (which pays all charges) a very substantial sum; but the principle of teaching Nauruans to do Nauru’s technical work is quite sound. In 1936- 1940, Nauru warmly praised Mr. Hurst’s plan.

But now, in Nauru, they unanimously condemn Mr. Hurst for insisting that the boys shall remain so long in Australia— some are back, but some have been there, now, for over four years. It is inevitable that, apart altogether from education, so long a sojourn there will unsettle the youths, and give them “swelled heads’’.

That is the general comment there, and I should say that it is well justified.

The maintenance of the boys for over four years, in a place like Geelong (or any other large city), has reduced a good plan to an absurdity. There are only 1,700 Nauruans altogether, and Nauru is an isolated little place. The kind of training that four years in Geelong represent is not needed in Nauru. The ideal plan would have been a very brief spell in a European city, and a technical training provided in Nauru itself.

Some of Mr. Hurst’s boys are back.

They are pleasant, courteous lads, who speak good English; but they are like fish out of water. They are expected to take their places as members of the Nauru community; but it is obvious that they find their social contacts embarrassing and inadequate. They have been over educated and over-Europeanised—a thing to be guarded against, always, in relation to small Polynesian communities.

Standing beside the main road, in Nauru, with an old resident, I saw an incident that was illuminating. The Ad ministrator was driving along, in his old tourer. He met two Nauruans, on bicycles.

They immediately dismounted, and re spectfully saluted the Administrator.

A moment later, a great, flashing sedan appeared, full of Nauruans. It rushed past the Administrator in a cloud of dust, without courtesy of any kind, and forcing the official car onto the roadside grass.

“There you see the old and the new” remarked my friend. “The flash lad driving that car was a ‘Geelong boy’.”

R.W.R.