Islands Teen-Ager

Solving the Problem Of The Islands Teen-Ager

Letter to the Editor MOST mothers in the Islands have faced the “pre-school” years of their children with the loyalty and help—always kindly, if not alway efficient —of their respective native staffs. And in doing so have, incidentally laid the foun dation of lasting friendship and under standing between native and European— for a child who has known native care can think native. So, in the Islands, the young child is not a problem.

However, the school years come and, with them, the stress, expense, eternal difficulties of transport to fit in with vacations; and, usually, the necessity of pocketing one's pride and independance, to beg friends or overworked relatives to collect and accomodate the children in the brief mid-term holidays. All Islands parents have faced these years.

But even those worries fade before the post-school question! For the students who face University comes the problem of accommodation —never so difficult as in these days of inflated rents, resentful landladies with short staff, and autocratic luxury hotels who hide profits in thous ands of well-furnished, but unoccupied, rooms. Chaos reigns in the Australian Cities of Beautiful Nonsense —and now the would-be student is often compelled to forego a training.

It is here I would like to pay tribute to a Sydney institution, mention of which was made in the March “PIM,” for

here is a fine solution for parents who wish to give a young lady a career, com panionship and city amenities with the protection, cultural advantages and secu rity of a home atmosphere.

The Memorial College of Household Arts and Science was founded in memory of Australian pioneer women; its object is to train girls, on broader and more practical general subjects and allow them to select and follow a career. Instead of the aimless doldrums of the Islands adolescents usual to small or isolated communities, they have the expert ad vice and guidance of an outstanding woman educationalist and medico, Dr.

Mary Booth OBE and her staff, at Kirri billi, Sydney.

The late Miss Fairfax, Dr. George Abbot (of the Royal Historical Society), Mrs.

Mowll (wife of the Archbishop of Sydney), and Lt-Col. Jones (formerly a master of Uppingham) and a number of other in terested educationalists initiated the movement and, until war conditions com pelled the college to close down, it had proved an outstanding success.

The Memorial College of Household Arts is now reopening. Special attention has been given always to the study of conditions and problems of country life, and these would also apply as well tc Islands life. The Diploma Course gives a thorough training to those who wish to make professional use of their know ledge. The course touches many subjects of home-craft and cookery, hygiene, dress making, interior-decorating, household budgeting, etc. Child Study and Nursing are also taught by a practical, brief course at Karatane and day-nurseries. Many of the past students have become interested and continued these courses as a career

There is also the brighter social side of college life. Pupils attend concerts and theatres and arrangements can be made for them to take business or musical studies.

As an Islands mother with fw> daughters who have been happy students at this fine educational centre. I hasten to pass on this idea to those many mothers who wish to give their daughters a good finishing school of practical value.

I am, etc.,

Jane Bleasdale

Sydney, March 25, 1947.