Conference

Another Education Conference In P. Moresby

Missionories and Administration

Meet to Discuss the Native Angle

From a Special Correspondent A CONFERENCE on native education between representatives of mission bodies in Papua-New Guinea and the Administration of the Privisional Ter ritory, was held in Port Moresby between May 21 and 28.

Administration organising officials and

representatives of the various missions who attended were as follows: Organising Committee: Mr. W. C. Groves, Director of Education, Chairman; Mr. J. H.

Jones, Director of District Services: Mr. S.

R. Lonergan.

Conference Secretary: Mr, S. J. Pearsall.

Organising Assistant: Mr. H. Buckland.

Representatives Of Missions

Anglican Mission: Bishop Strong (representing also Melanesian Mission, New Britain); Rev.

J Bodger, Rev. D. Taylor, Rev. E. H. Palmer.

Catholic Missions: Bishop T. Wade, Solomon Islands; Bishop Sorin, Papua; Msgr. W. van Baar, Ap. Administrator of Eastern and Central New Guinea; Father Zwinger, MSC, *»nd Father O’Loughlin, MSC, Vunapope, New Britain: Father Dwyer, MSC. Samarai, Eastern Papua; Father Ignatius, OFM, New' Guinea (East of Aitape); Father W. Ross. Mt.

Hagen, New Guinea; Father I. Schwab, Sepik, Central NG.

London Missionary Society: Rev. H. J. E. Short, Rev. D. E. Ure, Rev. R. Rankin, Mrs. Rankin.

Kwato Extension Mission: Mr. R. Abel, Miss P Abel, Mr. J. Smeeton.

Methodist Mission: Rev. Mannering, Rabaul; Rev. R. Brown, Rabaul; Mr. P. Brown, Salamo

Lutheran Mission: Rev. J. Kuder, Mt. Hagen; Rev. H. Hannemann, Madang; Rev. A. P. H Freund, Rooke Island; Dr. T. G. Braun.

Seventh Day Adventist Mission: From Sydney— Pastor Turner, Pastor McMahon. From Port Moresby—Pastor Thrift, Pastor E.. Boehm.

Pastor Stratford, Mr. Grey. From Mt.

Hagen—Mr. H. Ward Nolan.

Unevangelised Fields Mission: Mr. Sexton, Mr.

Lea.

Bamu River Mission: Mr. Standon, Mr. Harper.

During the seven days which the con

ference lasted, delegates were addressed on a number of subjects, most of wnich had a direct bearing on missionary enter prises and a few of which did not. Ad dresses included health services, training of natives in agriculture, commonwealth reconstruction training schemes, visual education, library services, broadcasting, commonwealth re-establishment, native co-operatives, shipping services, rehabili tation of native livestock, misson activity

in the Central Highlands and extension into uncontrolled areas, town planning, recruitment of natives by the missions, education of native women, aims of the School of Pacific Administration, mission ary spheres of influence, and compulsory education.

Visits were made, by the delegates, to several educational establishments in Port Moresby and adjacent districts.

The Administrator, Colonel J. K. Mur ray, opened the conference and read an extract from Commonwealth Hansard of May 1, which set forth Minister Ward’s opinion of the worth of missionaries. rE conference itself covered a wide field. Delegates were pleased with the attitude of the Administrator, who did not indulge in long-range theories but confined himself to attempted solutions of present problems. One

gathered the impression that he went to some pains to avoid having any delegate leave feeling discontented and dissatisfied.

Mr. J. H. Jones, Director of District Services, tackled the problem of Cargo cult which he described as the only com mon racial bond between the natives of the many different sections that go to make up the native population of Papua- New Guinea.

The conference also descussed differ ences in the way of handling native affairs in Papua and in New Guinea. For example, in Papua, Christian marriage between natives was recognised; in New Guinea it was not. In Papua, attendance at school was nominally compulsory, within a radius of 3 miles of any school; in New Guinea, school attendance was very seldom encouraged by officials. In Papua no force could be used for medical inspection or hospitalisation of natives;

in New Guinea, such medical attention could be enforced.

Most delegates were hesitant on the question of native co-operative businesses.

They are ready to meet the situation when it arises; but many felt that the whole thing had a flavour of politics and was not within the sphere of missionary activity.

The lecture on broadcasting, which was given by Mr. B. Kirke, had no practical application for New Guinea. There are broadcasts from Moresby in five dialects, and also in English; but there are no broadcasts in Pidgin, as there were during the war, although the Pidgin-speaking population is five times as great as the population speaking other dialects. This session of the conference was attended by two native announcers from 9PA, but they preferred to remain silent throughout.

In the course of the conference it was suggested that representatives of other bodies, such as miners, planters, etc., should be invited to attend conferences on native education and welfare. It was stated that the Administration has this “under consideration.”

During the discussion on missionary work in the Central Highlands it was an nounced that greatly extended areas of this district would be thrown open to missionary enterprise from July f, 1947.

This caused general satisfaction among delegates.

At the conclusion of the conference, the delegates made several suggestions to the Administration by way of resolutions.

Some of these were:— Amendments to the education ordinance should in future, be circulated among missionary bodies before promulgation; Natives over 16 should be allowed to do casual work wherever they like in the Territory; Polygamy be discouraged in Christian areas and Christian marriage be legally recognised.

A message was sent to Mr. Ward thank ing him for his part in calling the confer ence, and for having appointed such a capable Administrator as Colonel Murray.