All Races Catered For in Rabaul Education Scheme

From Our Own Correspondent

RABAUL, April 21.

THERE are now six varieties of government school functioning in the Rabaul district, but by far the largest individual unit of them is the Administration School for Chinese in Rabaul, which has an enrolment of 300 pupils and 11 teachers—five European and six Chinese. Two of the buildings are in

total disrepair; two of them are fair. It is hoped to have some building replace ments here in the near future.

The school for European children, also run by the Administration, functions in temporary quarters, too. At present it has 30 pupils.

There are two schools for Malays—one in Rabaul and one at Kokopo. Native

enrolments at schools in the district now number about 1,650. These schools have just been regrouped with a native super visor in charge of a group. Possibly the most important establishments, from the native-education point of view, are ihe Keravat Education Centre and the Tech nical Training Centre, at Malaguna. The Keravat Centre represents about the ul timate in higher education for New Guinea natives. The central school there has an enrolment of 160 and the teachers’ training centre, in the same establish ment, has 75 trainees. Selected pupils from Wewak, Madang, Morobe, etc., are sent here, as well as those worthy of higher education from among the local population.

The 176 trainees enrolled at Malaguna are being instructed in carpentry, plumb ing and mechanical engineering, with some attention to native arts and crafts.

Native education in New Guinea has a long way to go before it catches up with education in more enlightened native countries; but considering the extraordinary obstacles that had (and still have) to be overcome, one can say that the start has been satisfactory—at least in this district. At the same time, there is no cause for complacency when the over-all New Guinea picture is con sidered. The Rabaul natives are con siderably more advanced, and have had more advantages, than their outport cousins. When the same six varieties of school that function in Rabaul are avail able to children, all over the Territory, we will really be getting somewhere.

A daughter, Christine, was born to Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Maclean, of Namatanai, at Rabaul Hospital, New Guinea, on April 25.

Captain George Bailly, harbourmaster and pilot of Papeete, Tahiti, who has been on vacation in France, returned to the Colony on the “Ville d’Amiens” on April 2.

During his absence Captain Carlson has been acting harbourmaster.