Education In B.S.I.

School Materials Allowed In Duty-Free

IN June “PIM” an article was published on the topic of “Education in the Solomons”; it was a brief paraphrase of a report from Rev. J. F. Goldie, Chair man of the Methodist Mission of NZ.

Unfortunately, in abbreviating this an erroneous impression was given.

Whatever faults the BSIP Administra tion may have, it is unfair to say that they will not permit educational supplies to enter the Protectorate free of duty.

Bona fide school materials, scout equip ment and uniforms are allowed free of customs duty, but other materials such as calico, building materials, etc., which could be used for trading purposes or for any purpose other than education, are subject to duty.

With regard to building materials in particular, one can quite understand Mr.

Goldie’s grouse, since his Mission lost about £lOO,OOO in school buildings and equipment during the war. The Mission had a fine Training College at Kokeng golo; to-day, there remains nothing but bush. Many other schools suffered in like manner.

On the other hand, if the Administra tion were to allow any materials required by a Mission in to the group free of duty, the present small revenue available for rehabilitating the islands would be very appreciably reduced.

A further point liable to misinterpreta tion concerned the Educational Confer ence, which was called by the Director of Education. For the first time in the history of the Solomons all five Missions

assembled together, and after long and interesting discussions arrived at a sound joint policy which was acceptable to all.

On this aspect everyone, including Mr.

Goldie, expressed satisfaction and all con sidered a forward step had been made.

The proposed Government Training College made full provision for the spiri tual welfare of students from each Mis sion, under a system of self-contained Mission Colleges, the students attending

a central block for academic and instruc tional lectures and classes. This plan was accepted by the Missions unanimously, but a proviso was added that if at any future date a change in Government staff should result in a tendency to disregard the importance of an ethical background to education, each Mission retained the right to withdraw its students and to build its own training college.

Several members agreed with Mr.

Goldie that they would have liked to have had greater concessions in customs duty on imports, very naturally, and were disappointed when His Honour the Resi dent Commissioner, who had taken the Chair for the opening “on this historic occasion,” was adamant that no further concessions could be made. This should not be taken to mean that these mem bers were disappointed with the con

ference as a whole—the impression given by the article in June.

Later in the conference, a scheme was proposed which would have helped the Missions considerably in this matter of rehabilitating schools, but Mr. Goldie wanted the immediate lifting of customs duties, and would be satisfied with noth ing else.

The Missions have done, and are doing, a wonderful job in the Solomon Islands, and are doing it with very little money.

Consequently they had the complete sympathy of the Director of Education, who tried in every possible way to obtain funds with which to subsidise them in their educational work. His demands, however, were dismissed or pigeon-holed and no funds were forthcoming.

When it is considered that Australia assists its Mission helpers in Papua-New

Guinea to the tune of £40,000 annually, it will be realised that the Solomon Islands Missionaries are up against a tough proposition.

Such anomalies are dependent upon the clarity of vision of the local authori ties, and in some areas there has as yet been no dawning light of comprehension that education, properly formulated, provides the only solid foundation for a future which shall be balanced socially, morally and economically.

I am, etc.,

Coleman Porter.

Sydney, 22/7/1948. (EDITORIAL NOTE.—Mr. Coleman Porter, an Englishman, was appointed Director of Education in the Solomon Islands early in 1946, and he served in the Protectorate until he resigned last April. In a forthright address to mem bers of the Millions Club in Sydney on July 20 he severely criticised the BSI Administration, alleging that the Gov ernment had strangled the educational life of the Group to a point where he was forced to resign. He assailed the Administration as being “more concerned with the dignity of their position, the life of ease, and their future pensions rather than the betterment of the island people and rehabilitation of the area.”

Mr. Porter has since sailed for the United Kingdom.)